Sun, 5 Oct 2003, 02:17 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  106 Bruce Insinger                         24 Michael Gunderson
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.333  5.539 278.52
 Qualified:            #16  5.749 238.64                        #1  5.232 280.54

Current weather conditions: 57 degrees, 45 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.99 inches.

Insinger rolled through the lights. Gunderson with a big top end charge here for the second fastest pass in Alcohol Dragster

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  110 Rich McPhillips                       185 Mike Kosky
E1                   0.128  5.395 260.76     ****WINNER****  0.065  5.397 261.32
 Qualified:             #2  5.345 256.50                       #15  5.625 210.67

Kosky is out of the gate first and runs his career best E.T. and mph to take the win. McPhillips with his career best E.T, and mph pass here too, just comes up short.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  118 Ken Winward                             1 Arthur Gallant
E1                   0.095  5.665 234.17     ****WINNER****  0.142  5.462 238.51
 Qualified:            #14  5.580 240.42                        #3  5.404 252.85

Winward with the starting line advantage but Gallant with the power to chase him down for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1128 Karen Benkovich                         5 Cliff Bozzelli
E1                   0.063  5.976 232.91     ****WINNER****  0.029  5.459 260.91
 Qualified:            #13  5.574 246.35                        #4  5.423 258.12

Bozzelli with the starting line advantage and never looks back to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1034 Sheila Tafur                         1482 Richard Bourke
E1                   0.103  5.517 261.32     ****WINNER****  0.101  5.466 268.06
 Qualified:            #12  5.571 232.59                        #5  5.429 265.90

They leave at the same time and they are side by side all the way down the 1320 with Bourke taking the win by less than a car length. Sheila continued to improve all weekend running here career best E.T. and mph here. Bourke will have lane choice over Bozzelli in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Steven Cantrell                      1301 Douglas Foley
E1                   0.109  5.608 241.76     ****WINNER****  0.023  5.603 242.10
 Qualified:             #6  5.429 253.47                       #11  5.561 254.28

Cantrell lost traction right off the starting line and then pushed out a head gasket with a quick flash of flame. Foley used up his engine on the top end with a big fire ball. Foley will give up lane choice to Gallant in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  182 Daniel Mercier                       1072 Bruce Horner
E1   ****WINNER****  0.037  5.463 262.85                     0.048  5.719 245.40
 Qualified:             #7  5.477 260.97                       #10  5.523 255.39

Mercier with the starting line advantage and just drove away with his career best E.T. and mph for the win. Mercier will give up lane choice to Kosky.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  149 Mark Albert                          1712 David De Angelis
E1   ****WINNER****  0.115  5.446 256.65                     0.074  5.491 258.96
 Qualified:             #9  5.520 252.14                        #8  5.483 251.81

DeAngelis is out of the gate first, but Albert is able to chase him down by the 330 foot mark and hold on to take the win by about a car length. Albert with his career best E.T. while DeAngelis with his career best mph pass in a losing effort. Albert will have lane choice over Gunderson in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink