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Thu, 26 Jun 2008, 05:50 PM

Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, amount over/under index, and position in order following run, class and class index:

Left Lane: Russ Kelly Runs 6.992/193.40/-0.328, Now #2 A/DA Index: 7.32
Right Lane: Keith Roberts Runs 9.347/145.99/-0.393, Now #1 I/SMA Index: 9.74

5:01 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 28.91 inches, adjusted altitude 3,362 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

After a couple of rain delays, Comp finally got to make their first runs of the weekend. No problems in either lane, but those times won't make the top half.

Left Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 8.186/120.38/0.866, Now #4 A/AP Index: 7.32
Right Lane: Doug Doll Jr. Runs 8.400/155.92/-0.430, Now #1 F/ED Index: 8.83

Alexander slowed around half track. Clean pass by Doll.

Left Lane: Peter Biondo Runs 8.050/169.13/-0.290, Now #5 B/SR Index: 8.34
Right Lane: Tom Schmidt Runs 8.522/158.46/-0.448, Now #1 C/T Index: 8.97

Everynbody appears to be a bit off-pace, might be the conditions.

Left Lane: Anthony Bertozzi Runs 7.987/165.60/-0.493, Now #1 B/SR Index: 8.48
Right Lane: Mike Farrell Runs 7.476/176.97/-0.424, Now #4 A/EA Index: 7.90

Two pretty-good looking runs.

Left Lane: Bill Yates Runs 6.743/201.31/-0.477, Now #3 A/ED Index: 7.22
Right Lane: Brian Browell Runs 7.279/182.75/-0.541, Now #1 D/D Index: 7.82

Browell is the first to crack -.500 for the weekend, Yates has the first 200 mph speed.

Left Lane: Scott Chamness Runs 6.601/205.29/-0.439, Now #5 A/D Index: 7.04
Right Lane: Frank Aragona Runs 8.466/154.78/-0.424, Now #8 G/EA Index: 8.89

Chamness had a lot of tire shatter on the launch.

Left Lane: Stephen Szupka Runs 8.363/158.24/-0.467, Now #4 F/ED Index: 8.83
Right Lane: Pat Ross Runs 8.237/163.67/-0.443, Now #6 F/A Index: 8.68

Like "deja-vu all over again," Szupka comes up in the Aragona dragster.

Left Lane: Arnie Martel Runs 7.935/166.29/-0.545, Now #1 B/SR Index: 8.48
Right Lane: Steve Ambrose Runs 7.882/164.17/-0.518, Now #3 J/AA Index: 8.40

Martel goes to #1, Ambrose to #3.

Left Lane: John Peto Runs 8.256/159.44/-0.144, Now #17 J/AA Index: 8.40
Right Lane: Terry Smith Runs 7.592/173.87/-0.398, Now #13 D/ED Index: 7.99

Left Lane: Bruno Massel Runs 7.591/180.07/-0.459, Now #7 DD/AT Index: 8.05
Right Lane: Greg Kamplain Runs 7.204/184.85/-0.426, Now #12 C/DA Index: 7.63

Left Lane: Frank Cervelli Runs 7.126/185.84/-0.504, Now #4 C/DA Index: 7.63
Right Lane: Bert Dawson Runs 8.340/161.09/-0.300, Now #19 F/AA Index: 8.64

Nice pass by Cervelli to join the very short list of -.500 racers this round.

Left Lane: Jeff Wright Runs 7.293/190.08/-0.347, Now #19 B/AA Index: 7.64
Right Lane: John Frech Runs 8.328/159.01/-0.362, Now #18 F/D Index: 8.69

Left Lane: Gary Merrick Runs 7.519/176.51/-0.351, Now #20 C/ED Index: 7.87
Right Lane: David Rampy Runs 7.355/180.48/-0.545, Now #2 A/EA Index: 7.90

Nice pass by Rampy, tying Arnie Martel for over/under, but Martel did it first and stays #1.

Left Lane: Mauri Rose Runs 7.214/185.10/-0.296, Now #24 C/D Index: 7.51
Right Lane: Donald Ksiezyk Runs 7.053/190.14/-0.137, Now #27 A/AA Index: 7.19

Left Lane: Robert Bailey Runs 6.744/201.37/-0.476, Now #8 A/ED Index: 7.22
Right Lane: Lonnie Johnson Runs 7.266/183.59/-0.374, Now #20 B/AA Index: 7.64

Both cars in the prior pair went off the end of the track, so we were down for a few minutes to get them out of the sand.
5:31 p.m. There are six pairs of cars left in the lanes and it is getting dark. Hopefully they will run before the next weather cell gets here.

Left Lane: Jason Coan Runs 8.316/155.44/-0.574, Now #1 G/EA Index: 8.89
Right Lane: Charlie Greco Runs 9.279/99.00/0.999, Now #32 D/AA Index: 8.28

Track workers are coming over the wall to wipe up "weepers" in the left lane, right at the 330-foot marker. So far, no indication the moisture seepage is affecting the cars.

Coan leaped to the head of the list on a nice run. Greco slowed around ahlf track.

Left Lane: Larry Pritchett Runs 8.198/166.74/-0.482, Now #8 B/SM Index: 8.68
Right Lane: Ray Vierheller III Runs 7.524/174.62/-0.466, Now #12 D/ED Index: 7.99

Left Lane: Larry Morgan Runs 7.249/194.35/-0.401, Now #22 B/A Index: 7.65
Right Lane: Al Ackerman Runs 8.184/163.18/-0.506, Now #6 F/D Index: 8.69

The car says "Larry Morgan," the number belongs to Larry Morgan, I guess it's Larry Morgan! Nice pass by Ackerman, the seventh driver under -.500.

Left Lane: Glenn Butcher Runs 8.246/125.76/1.176, Now #1 B/TA Index: 7.07
Right Lane: Steven Kent Runs 7.926/171.18/-0.434, Now #19 E/A Index: 8.36

We are running out of cars and daylight at the same time, a very dark cloud rapidly approaching the track. One more pair and a single remain to finish the round.

Left Lane: Rick Brown Runs 8.466/157.43/-0.464, Now #15 B/TA Index: 8.93
Right Lane: Rodger Brogdon Runs 8.079/168.68/-0.351, Now #31 A/SM Index: 8.43

Left Lane: Craig Bourgeois Runs 7.045/184.65/-0.605, Now #2 B/ND Index: 7.65

Bourgeois beat the weather and beat up on all the other drivers, taking the #1 spot. And the rain started as he pulled off the track. The rain was heavy, the scoreboards disappeared and the wind started stripping the trackside signs from the wall.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink