Fri, 7 Nov 2003, 05:21 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Gary Anderson Runs 9.614/102.22, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.180/235.64, Was #16
Right Lane: Dave Hirata Runs 5.392/268.49, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.501/262.39, Was #8

1:19 PM After a stellar Alcohol Funny Car session, the long cars come to the line. This is almost perfect conditions for both the fuel and blown dragster.

Anderson will almost certainly get bumped, as he starts to drop cylinders right off the line. Hirata Makes a strong, straight, and clean pass into the current #4 spot.

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Left Lane: Don Hudson Runs 5.473/257.83, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.608/247.38, Was #12
Right Lane: Larry Miersch Runs 8.912/92.48, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.448/250.37, Was #6

Miersch gets the ride of the day, so far. After a great .924 sixty foot ET, the front end take off into the air and keeps climbing. He finally has to lift and coasts on down with no apparent damage. Hudson has his act together and moves up the ladder several spots with another good pass.

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Left Lane: Mike Cofini Runs 5.478/261.27, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.547/257.48, Was #11
Right Lane: Marty Thacker Runs 15.809/46.49, Now #20; Best prior run: 10.173/110.84, Was #20

Thacker has problems right at the hit and coasts on down. Cofini has a great .918 sixty foot, picks up both ET and MPH, and then two spots on the current ladder. Anderson is on the bump with a 6.180 ET.

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Left Lane: Alan Bradshaw Runs 5.291/254.76, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.458/250.60, Was #7
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.466/262.18, Now #8; Best prior run: 8.231/135.52, Was #18

Severance is looking for a full pass this time to get into the show. He leaves right with Bradshaw and runs well into the current #8 spot. Bradshaw drives away from Severance and takes over the current#1 spot. He uses a lot of track getting to the finish and looks like he actually clicked it early. Darryl Hitchman is now on the bump with a 5.884.

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Left Lane: David Wells Runs 5.419/261.62, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.491/241.67, Was #11
Right Lane: Darryl Hitchman Runs 5.942/233.44, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.884/246.21, Was #16

Hitchman has holes out at the hit and it gets worse as he goes down the track. Wells makes it look easy and moves into the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: John Haley Runs 5.391/263.46, Now #5; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.383/263.46, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.331/269.56, Was #2

Shields has been on a rip with his new A/Fuel package. He has a dropped cylinder near the top end and doesn't improve. Haley makes a big move up the field with a great MPH. Mike Austin is now on the bump with a 5.749

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Left Lane: Mitch Myers Runs 15.055/67.78, Now #22; Best prior run: 19.792/59.31, Was #21
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 13.392/89.62, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.352/265.06, Was #2

Looks like the crew chiefs were comparing notes before the run. Both cars are up in smoke immediately at the hit.

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Left Lane: Chris Lane Runs 7.787/113.59, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.402/136.97, Was #20
Right Lane: Darren Nicholson Runs 5.446/260.81, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.446/259.16, Was #9

Nicholson makes an identical pass to yesterday and will stay in the current #9 spot. Lane is in trouble right off the line and slows.

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Left Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.316/271.68, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.369/265.38, Was #4
Right Lane: Mike Austin Runs 13.440/55.96, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.749/243.33, Was #17

Austin shakes the tires big time and he has to shut it down. They are now down to their last chance to qualify. Reichert just misses the top spot and runs a BIG MPH.

Austin's car leaves a little deposit on the track and the Safety Safari is out doing their thing. 1:50 PM

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Left Lane: Randy Eakins Runs 5.620/247.70, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.662/244.47, Was #16
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.486/259.41, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.558/255.15, Was #15

2:01 PM ... and we are back. Most of the "stuff" was past the finish line, so there should not be any significant impact for Demke. Both cars are in the very bottom of the field and looking to improve to a safer position. Demke picks up a bunch, but only moves up one spot. Eakins makes a career best run and will have to settle for staying on the bump. 2:03 PM

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink