Sun, 28 Sep 2003, 02:07 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Bob Orme Going Home With a Record

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   76 Doug Gordon                            52 Cy Chesterman
E2   ****WINNER****  0.039  5.587 255.63                     0.072  5.555 257.78
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Williams  ) 0.028  5.588 255.19      (F Hagen     ) 0.028  5.531 259.66
 Qualified:             #4  5.598 255.97                        #5  5.613 256.70

12:49 PM Current weather conditions: 54 degrees, 62 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.96 inches.

This was the quickest side-by-side Top Alcohol Funny Car race ever! Chesterman backs up his 5.531-second National record, and loses on a holeshot. Doug Gordon's MOV: 0.0015 seconds (approximately 7 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Frank Manzo                           381 Mick Snyder
E2   ****WINNER****  0.076  5.567 260.76                     0.014  5.655 250.60
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Gasparrell) 0.046  5.558 261.67      (J Sickles   ) -0.006 10.207  82.98
 Qualified:             #1  5.578 260.46                        #9  5.668 251.11

Snyder's career best elapsed time wasn't good enough to win this one. He was to the right of the groove on the top end of the track. Frank Manzo's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.080), 330 ft(-0.071), 660ft(-0.043), 1,000ft(-0.009). MOV: 0.0264 seconds (approximately 10 feet). Manzo will have lane choice over Gordon in the semi's.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jay Payne                              53 Vern Moats
E2   ****WINNER****  0.044  5.770 253.85                     0.062  8.257 108.06
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Lee       ) 0.052  5.694 256.21      (C Cheeseman ) 0.109  6.753 230.76
 Qualified:             #2  5.583 259.86                       #10  5.693 245.76

Moats shook the tires on the launch, the car moved toward the centerline at about 300 feet, then he went in the opposite direction and almost hit the retaining wall at half track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Bob Newberry                           33 Jeff Craig
E2   ****WINNER****  0.084  5.756 253.80                     0.047  5.942 241.54
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Branch    ) 0.084  5.599 255.48      (B Austin    ) 0.028  5.742 252.43
 Qualified:             #6  5.638 256.89                       #14  5.786 251.30

Craig was flirting with the centerline from about 300 through 1000 feet. Newberry will have lane choice over Payne in the semi's.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink