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Thu, 19 Jun 2008, 05:36 PM

Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Larry Sullivan

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed this round, amount over/under index this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time, speed & over/under Index, and position in order prior to run:

Left Lane: Doug Doll Jr. Runs 8.805/114.26/-0.025, Now #15; F/ED Index: 8.83, Prior Best: 8.302/157.72/-0.528, Was #15
Right Lane: Gerry Russo Runs 8.311/163.49/-0.549, Now #9; C/SMA Index: 8.86, Prior Best: 8.277/163.33/-0.583, Was #9

5:10 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 29.80 inches, adjusted altitude 1,985 feet, track temperature 117 degrees.
Lonnie Johnson is on the bump spot at 7.481 over the index.

Doll slowed on the top end.

Left Lane: Tom Stalba Runs 8.403/161.36/-0.457, Now #24; C/SMA Index: 8.86, Prior Best: 8.398/159.36/-0.462, Was #24
Right Lane: Brian Darcy Runs 6.821/193.27/-0.679, Now #2; A/ND Index: 7.50, Prior Best: 6.844/191.40/-0.656, Was #3

Darcy steps up with a nice run in the nostalgia dragster. Stalba lost a few thousandths, stayed 24th.

Left Lane: Erich Bollman Runs 7.880/171.82/-0.480, Now #22; E/A Index: 8.36, Prior Best: 7.882/172.17/-0.478, Was #22
Right Lane: Bill Griffin Jr. Runs 8.166/163.55/-0.554, Now #8; C/EA Index: 8.72, Prior Best: 8.115/164.47/-0.605, Was #8

Left Lane: Lonnie Johnson Runs 7.071/194.83/-0.569, Now #12; B/AA Index: 7.64, Prior Best: 15.121/64.94/7.481, Was #32
Right Lane: Charlie Greco Runs 7.692/167.95/-0.588, Now #5; D/AA Index: 8.28, Prior Best: 7.646/174.62/-0.634, Was #5

Johnson went from the bump to the top half on a nice run. Greco also made a good run, but not quite as nice as his first.

Left Lane: Kennith Voight Runs 8.921/151.87/-0.459, Now #15; G/SM Index: 9.38, Prior Best: 8.838/151.97/-0.542, Was #15
Right Lane: Frank Affronti Runs 7.505/179.42/-0.515, Now #17; C/AA Index: 8.02, Prior Best: 7.522/179.66/-0.498, Was #21

Affronti improved enough to move up several spots.

Left Lane: Al Ackerman Runs 8.177/146.80/-0.513, Now #4; F/D Index: 8.69, Prior Best: 8.034/164.43/-0.656, Was #4
Right Lane: Tom Ekroth Runs 7.563/179.28/-0.417, Now #26; C/A Index: 7.98, Prior Best: 7.546/179.42/-0.434, Was #26

Ackerman was off the throttle way before the line.

Left Lane: Keith Roberts Runs 9.203/143.43/-0.537, Now #17; I/SMA Index: 9.74, Prior Best: 11.219/81.31/1.479, Was #31
Right Lane: Anthony Bertozzi Runs 7.923/152.38/-0.597, Now #9; B/SR Index: 8.52, Prior Best: 8.013/143.75/-0.507, Was #19

Bertozzi lifted early in the first session. This one appeared to be "a full pull." Roberts almost made the top half on a big improvement. By the way, Daniel Civiello is on the bump spot at 2.578 over.

Left Lane: Ray Bamond Runs 8.492/162.45/-0.368, Now #25; C/SMA Index: 8.86, Prior Best: 8.384/161.57/-0.476, Was #25
Right Lane: Carl Miller Runs 8.373/159.59/-0.307, Now #30; F/A Index: 8.68, Prior Best: 8.366/159.25/-0.314, Was #30

No help here...

Left Lane: Elio Mannino Runs 8.842/182.18/1.202, Now #31; B/AA Index: 7.64, Prior Best: 7.394/182.77/-0.246, Was #31
Right Lane: John Frech Runs 8.186/161.29/-0.504, Now #22; F/D Index: 8.69, Prior Best: 8.191/160.94/-0.499, Was #22

Mannino rolled the beams. Frech improved slightly, stayed 22nd.

Left Lane: Stephen Szupka Runs 8.230/159.40/-0.600, Now #9; F/ED Index: 8.83, Prior Best: 8.325/157.71/-0.505, Was #21
Right Lane: Don Eckel III Runs 6.974/191.70/-0.536, Now #16; C/D Index: 7.51, Prior Best: 6.958/192.25/-0.552, Was #15

Nice run by Szupka to move way up the ladder.

Left Lane: John Caliendo Jr Runs 7.830/172.41/-0.450, Now #21; D/AA Index: 8.28, Prior Best: 7.770/173.43/-0.510, Was #21
Right Lane: Richard Schonberger Runs 8.211/162.59/-0.609, Now #8; I/A Index: 8.82, Prior Best: 8.240/161.94/-0.580, Was #13

Schonberger improved nicely, Caliendo did not.

Left Lane: Chip Ippolito Runs 7.777/174.50/-0.443, Now #27; PSTA Index: 8.22, Prior Best: 7.826/173.70/-0.394, Was #28
Right Lane: Sal Biondo Runs 16.749/46.85/7.959, Now #33; I/AA Index: 8.79, Prior Best: 27.825/30.47/19.035, Was #33

Biondo had a bad run in the first session, then broke his Super Stocker immediately afterward. Once again the car launched, then slowed immediately.

Left Lane: George Supinski Runs 8.218/164.83/-0.582, Now #13; C/SM Index: 8.80, Prior Best: 8.219/164.75/-0.581, Was #13
Right Lane: Pat Ross Runs 8.047/167.38/-0.633, Now #6; F/A Index: 8.68, Prior Best: 8.054/167.57/-0.626, Was #6

Both improved just a few ticks, stayed put in the order.

Left Lane: Arnie Martel Runs 9.316/102.39/0.796, Now #3; B/SR Index: 8.52, Prior Best: 7.860/167.28/-0.660, Was #3
Right Lane: David Strouse III Runs 14.375/50.71/6.725, Now #33; B/A Index: 7.65, No Prior Run

Strouse launched and broke almost immediately, coasting through. Martel's roadster tried to cross the centerline at mid track. He saved it, but fell way off the pace.

Right Lane: Mark Hopkins Runs 7.888/171.73/-0.472, Now #23; D/A Index: 8.36, Prior Best: 7.875/171.45/-0.485, Was #23

Right Lane: Frank Aragona Runs 8.294/155.51/-0.596, Now #12; G/EA Index: 8.89, Prior Best: 8.336/155.78/-0.554, Was #15

Nice run by Aragona to m ove up the ladder a few spots.

Right Lane: David Rampy Runs 7.277/175.25/-0.623, Now #7; A/EA Index: 7.90, Prior Best: 7.286/173.43/-0.614, Was #7

Looks like Rampy is the final car of the day. He picked up a few thousandths, stayed seventh.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink