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Sat, 11 Nov 2006, 03:33 PM

Competition Eliminator Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  562 Lucky Snyder                           78 Scott Hedlund                
E1                  -0.047  8.247 163.73     ****WINNER****  0.014  8.464 130.76
        F/A Index: 8.69 (+/-): -0.443            B/SM Index: 8.74 (+/-): -0.276
 Qualified:            #32  8.219 -0.471                       #16  8.156 -0.584

11:13 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 29.12 inches, adjusted altitude 2,080 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Forty four cars attempted to qualify for the final race of the year and we will see the thirty two that made the grade in round one. The indexes are close for these two, so we should see a close race down the track. But no, we get the Traditional Red Light in the first pair instead.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
    4 Michael Stone                          72 Vinnie Deceglie              
E1                  -0.005  7.887 126.21     ****WINNER****  0.057  6.772 162.61
       C/ED Index: 7.93 (+/-): -0.043             A/A Index: 7.16 (+/-): -0.388
 Qualified:            #23  7.389 -0.541                        #7  6.547 -0.613

680c.i. Corvette and a small CID dragster to the line. Another red light to make this a non-event.Deceglie launches hard and then clicks it off to ensure no CIC penality in round two.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7916 Bryan Morrison                       2000 Lee Sharp                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.001  8.248 154.09                     0.091  8.590 157.78
       F/AA Index: 8.71 (+/-): -0.462           D/SMA Index: 9.09 (+/-): -0.500
 Qualified:            #26  8.188 -0.522                       #10  8.490 -0.600

Great .001 light time for Morrison and he steals the win from Sharp.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6222 Mark Stewart                         7098 Tom Mettler                  
E1                   0.111  8.961 148.01     ****WINNER****  0.046  7.563 164.73
      G/SMA Index: 9.41 (+/-): -0.449             PST Index: 8.07 (+/-): -0.507
 Qualified:            #25  8.886 -0.524                        #9  7.463 -0.607

Stewart goes way over to the right and then way over to the left before clicking it off. Mettler nibbles at the CIC in an easy win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
   74 Alan Ellis                           707M John Mihovetz                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.062  6.857 173.01                     0.045  7.098 164.07
       A/AA Index: 7.36 (+/-): -0.503           BB/AT Index: 7.39 (+/-): -0.292
 Qualified:            #17  6.776 -0.584                        #1  6.640 -0.750

Two very different ways to run an altered. Both cars have similar RT's, but Mihovetz can't run the number. Ellis takes the upset win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7041 David Sumek                          6660 Adam Bowdish                 
E1                   0.060  6.731 199.67     ****WINNER****  0.044  8.880 146.40
      AA/AM Index: 7.17 (+/-): -0.439            F/SM Index: 9.42 (+/-): -0.540
 Qualified:             #3  6.535 -0.635                       #19  8.846 -0.574

Sumek has his hands full keeping the high HP altered off the center line and it costs him. Bowdish gets the upset win, but will get a little CIC hit for his troubles.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 5800 Al Bresch                              62 Dave Barcelon                
E1                   0.128  8.979 149.70     ****WINNER****  0.079  8.510 150.85
       G/SM Index: 9.49 (+/-): -0.511             G/A Index: 9.05 (+/-): -0.540
 Qualified:            #30  8.991 -0.499                       #14  8.460 -0.590

No upset this time, Barcelon has all of the numbers to take a decisive win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
   36 Bo Butner                             750 Jim Cowan                    
E1                   0.024  7.363 180.96     ****WINNER****  0.072  8.364 147.70
      AA/SM Index: 7.71 (+/-): -0.347            D/EA Index: 8.93 (+/-): -0.566
 Qualified:            #20  7.147 -0.563                        #4  8.312 -0.618

Butler struggled in qualifying after his fire at Vegas and his problems continue today. A little tire spin off the line and he has to watch Cowan take the easy win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 3737 Jacklyn Gebhardt                      717 Mike DePalma                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.054  6.709 182.28                     0.080  8.149 165.74
       A/ED Index: 7.23 (+/-): -0.521             F/A Index: 8.69 (+/-): -0.541
 Qualified:             #5  6.615 -0.615                       #21  8.140 -0.550

Gebhardt gets the hole shot win over DePalms. Jacklyn Gebhardt's MOV: 0.0063 seconds (approximately 18 inches).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
    1 Jeff Taylor                          7244 Fred Gross                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.034  8.604 155.15                     0.006  8.492 158.89
       E/SM Index: 9.21 (+/-): -0.606             G/A Index: 9.05 (+/-): -0.558
 Qualified:             #2  8.536 -0.674                       #18  8.474 -0.576

Taylor has to push the CIC hard to get the win, as Gross gets a major RT advantage off the line.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6018 Jim Warter                            610 John Edwards                 
E1                  -0.005  9.642 100.91     ****WINNER****  0.064  8.330 124.42
       F/SM Index: 9.42 (+/-):  0.222            C/AA Index: 8.05 (+/-):  0.280
 Qualified:             #6  8.806 -0.614                       #22  7.508 -0.542

Warter just misses the green by -0.005 to give Edwards the easy win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7771 Ed Sigmon                             600 Jeff Lane                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.044  8.720 148.67                     0.084  8.064 163.00
       C/SR Index: 9.22 (+/-): -0.500            B/SR Index: 8.59 (+/-): -0.526
 Qualified:            #29  8.710 -0.510                       #13  8.000 -0.590

Lane is late and then has a big wiggle near mid-track that costs him the win. Sigmon runs a perfect -.0500 under to get the win without a CIC hit for next round. Ed Sigmon's MOV: 0.0148 seconds (approximately 4 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6944 Bob Marshall                         5250 Todd Patterson               
E1                  -0.116  7.492 157.03     ****WINNER****  0.046  7.978 142.03
       B/AA Index: 7.73 (+/-): -0.238             E/A Index: 8.36 (+/-): -0.382
 Qualified:            #24  7.204 -0.526                        #8  7.753 -0.607

Marshall goes red big time and Patterson will go on to round two.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7109 Ross Wilson                          5017 Kevin Smith                  
E1                   0.104  8.337 161.92     ****WINNER****  0.063  7.299 165.97
      B/SMA Index: 8.77 (+/-): -0.433            B/AA Index: 7.73 (+/-): -0.431
 Qualified:            #31  8.284 -0.486                       #15  7.141 -0.589

Marshall's red light troubles get worse, as the engine expired near the 1000 foot lights. We are on hold while the Safety Safari rolls to clean up his mess.

11:37 a.m. ...and we are back. Wilson is late and Smith takes an easy win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
   76 Tom Huggins                          1162 Sal Biondo                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.117  7.088 187.78                     0.056  7.851 170.69
        B/A Index: 7.69 (+/-): -0.602            E/AA Index: 8.36 (+/-): -0.509
 Qualified:            #11  7.094 -0.596                       #27  7.846 -0.514

Huggins is late too and it will cost him a dime in CIC next round to ensure the win over Biondo.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7238 David Beckley                         710 Doug Lambeck                 
E1                  -0.005  6.978 174.10     ****WINNER****  0.037  8.828 115.97
       A/AA Index: 7.36 (+/-): -0.382           D/SMA Index: 9.09 (+/-): -0.262
 Qualified:            #28  6.847 -0.513                       #12  8.495 -0.595

Last pair and Beckley throws it away with a close -0.005 red light. Lambeck will get to play again this afternoon in round two.

11:43 a.m. In Round Two: Ellis vs. Mettler; Gebhardt vs. Sigmon; Bowdish vs. Huggins; Deceglie vs. Smith; Taylor vs. Morrison; Edwards vs. Barcelon; Cowan vs. Lambeck; and Patterson vs. Hedlund.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink