Sun, 5 Oct 2008, 08:50 PM Competition Eliminator Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

FONTANA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA, Third annual NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  178 Dan Fletcher                          717 Mike DePalma                 
E2                  -0.004  8.589 123.88     ****WINNER****  0.025  7.949 170.36
       C/EA Index: 8.66 (+/-): -0.071            A/SM Index: 8.43 (+/-): -0.481
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Jones     ) 0.062  8.288 -0.372      (M Maggio    ) 0.140  7.980 -0.450
 Qualified:             #5  8.117 -0.543                        #9  7.929 -0.501

5:37 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 28.71 inches, adjusted altitude 3,220 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Fletcher had a good chance to extend his points for the 2008 Championship, but he goes red by -0.004. DePalma runs on through to round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
    2 Dean Carter                            78 Tom Mettler                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.025  6.971 189.07                     0.061  7.485 180.04
       A/ND Index: 7.46 (+/-): -0.489             PST Index: 8.01 (+/-): -0.525
 Prior rounds:
E1    (E Sigmon    ) 0.043  7.047 -0.413      (S Graham    ) 0.066  7.579 -0.431
 Qualified:             #8  6.959 -0.501                        #4  7.461 -0.549

Carter has the better light and just runs down Mettler's Pick Up, right at the strip.

Dean Carter's MOV: 0.0008 seconds (approximately 3 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
   74 Doug Lambeck                          610 John Edwards                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.018  8.487 148.58                     0.087  8.871  96.41
      D/SMA Index: 9.00 (+/-): -0.513            C/AA Index: 8.02 (+/-):  0.851
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Moscini   ) 0.076  8.565 -0.435      (J Rowley    ) 0.031  7.542 -0.478
 Qualified:             #6  8.468 -0.532                        #2  7.426 -0.594

Lambeck is away first and has the starting line advantage too boot. Edwards day is done before mid-track as he slows.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
        Bye                                   7 Jim Cowan                    
E2                                            ****WINNER****  0.045  9.921  93.92
                                                 I/AA Index: 8.79 (+/-):  1.131
 Prior rounds:
E1                                           (A Freese    ) 0.013  8.823  0.033
 Qualified:                                                       #1  8.185 -0.605

Cowan, on a bye run ,comes close to crossing the center line. He lifts and will go on to round 3.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7265 Tom Brown                            7009 Ross Wilson                  
E2                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.007  8.470 134.55
       F/ED Index: 8.83 (+/-): 91.169           C/SMA Index: 8.86 (+/-): -0.390
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Dunn      ) -0.047  8.535 -0.295      (A Ellis     ) 0.135  8.611 -0.249
 Qualified:             #7  8.319 -0.511                        #3  8.311 -0.549

Brown can't make the call and Wilson gets a free pass to round three.

5:47 p.m. He'll face DePalma; Cowan will race Carter; and Lambeck gets the Bye Run.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink