Fri, 20 Jun 2008, 11:54 AM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Bunny Burkett Runs 5.994/238.93, Now #1
Right Lane: John Fiorini Runs 6.805/204.82, Now #2

11:22 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 29.94 inches, adjusted altitude 1,747 feet, track temperature 111 degrees.

Fiorini deep-staged and was rolling when the tree came down. Nice pass by Burkett.

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Left Lane: Dan Roman Runs 5.825/245.67, Now #1
Right Lane: Lou Sgro Runs 5.843/248.98, Now #2

Two nice runs, career-best ET for Roman and career-best ET and speed for Sgro.

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Left Lane: John Headley No Time, Now #7
Right Lane: Eric Lourie Runs 5.723/250.41, Now #1

Headley didn't make a burnout and was towed away. Nice pass by Laurie, just a hundredth off hsi career-best.

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Left Lane: Fred Tigges Runs 5.982/241.71, Now #4
Right Lane: Scott McNiece Runs 6.577/232.23, Now #6

McNiece shook hard after a clean launch. Good pass by Tigges, should make the 16-car field.

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Left Lane: Paul Gill Runs 5.661/252.24, Now #1
Right Lane: Wayne Morris Runs 5.863/229.16, Now #5

Gill came to play, taking low ET honors for now with his best pass of the year.

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Right Lane: DJ Cox Jr. Runs 10.173/105.00, Now #10

Cox completely lost traction at the hit.

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Left Lane: John Anderika Runs 8.295/114.48, Now #11
Right Lane: Marty Nothstein Runs 5.566/261.72, Now #1

Nothstein claims Division 3, but lives in Pennsylvania - and had the honor of breaking Frank Manzo's impressive win streak last weekend, at Atco. Anderika shook and danced right off the startingt line. Dual career-bests for Nothstein on a very nice run. Marty Nothstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.693/207.88mph, 1,000ft-4.707.

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Left Lane: Keeter Ray Runs 22.865/24.59, Now #14
Right Lane: Marc White Runs 5.654/250.51, Now #2

Ray shook hard, smoking the tires. Nice pass by Atco-winner White to take the second spot for now.

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Left Lane: Mickey Ferro Runs 5.949/248.57, Now #9
Right Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 5.532/263.87, Now #1

Okay, everybody move back a step. Two clean ruyns, Manzo right to the head of the class. Frank Manzo's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.479, 660ft-3.666/209.43mph, 1,000ft-4.677.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink