Thu, 13 Nov 2008, 03:10 PM Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #1 |
By David Gerard |
POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, amount over/under index, and position in order following run, class and class index:
Left Lane: Mike DePalma Runs 8.130/165.27/-0.640, Now #1 A/SM Index: 8.77
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 14.975/70.76/8.125, Now #2 AA/PM Index: 6.85
11:23 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 35 percent, barometer 28.86 inches, adjusted altitude 2,809 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.
We
start Thursday qualifying with one of the quickest cars. NOT! The slicks are spinning and smoking
at the hit. Nice pass for DePlama to set a nice mid-sixty under his index time.
Left Lane: Ross Wilson Runs 8.374/162.98/-0.476, Now #3 C/SMA Index: 8.85
Right Lane: Steve Matusek Runs 6.520/219.83/-0.800, Now #1 BB/AT Index: 7.32
Wheels up leave for Wilson and lots of banging and popping for the "Hair Dryer" Mustang. The Ford moves the top mark up a bunch with a clean -0.800 under the BB/AT index.
Left Lane: David Connolly Runs 7.985/169.47/-0.615, Now #3 C/A Index: 8.60
Right Lane: Bob Hass Runs 7.378/189.36/-0.502, Now #4 B/AP Index: 7.88
Connolly is in for Biondo, as he has gone to Valdosta. Nice pass into the current #3 spot.
Left Lane: Maureen Jondahl Runs 8.312/163.33/-0.348, Now #6 C/EA Index: 8.66
Right Lane: Mark Wolfe Runs 6.806/219.79/-0.284, Now #7 AA/AT Index: 7.09
Wolfe isn't able to show the T-Birds performance with a bad 60 foot time and never picks it up down track. No big numbers for Jondahl either.
Left Lane: Scott Kelley Runs 10.392/134.16/0.902, Now #8 L/A Index: 9.49
Right Lane: Ron Weems Runs 8.403/144.49/1.293, Now #9 F/EA Index: 7.11
Broken run for Weems and Kelly.
Left Lane: Thomas Shambaugh Runs 7.648/167.91/-0.252, Now #9 DD/AT Index: 7.90
Right Lane: Randy Jones Runs 8.590/158.35/-0.390, Now #6 D/SM Index: 8.98
Nice sixty foot time for Shambaugh, but he takes the long way down, as the Cavalier moves around a bunch off the line. Jones doesn't run well either.
Left Lane: Shane Gray Runs 7.064/196.13/-0.556, Now #4 B/A Index: 7.62
Right Lane: Bob Marshall Runs 7.160/190.24/-0.480, Now #6 B/AA Index: 7.64
Left Lane: Pat Byron Runs 7.202/191.40/-0.298, Now #11 C/D Index: 7.50
Right Lane: Pete Adams Runs 7.452/183.49/-0.528, Now #5 C/A Index: 7.98
A little shake off the line for Byron and it costs him. Adams gets to the finish line without any drama.
Left Lane: John Mihovetz Runs 6.633/216.13/-0.457, Now #10 AA/AT Index: 7.09
Right Lane: Scott Hedlund Runs 7.848/172.34/-0.582, Now #4 A/SM Index: 8.43
The "Thunder Kitty" comes to the line! Great 1.041 sixtyfoot time for the Cougar, but no big numbers. Hedlund is over a tenth quicker!
Left Lane: John Edwards Runs 7.397/183.94/-0.623, Now #3 C/AA Index: 8.02
Right Lane: Brian Darcy Runs 7.282/182.87/-0.178, Now #17 A/ND Index: 7.46
Darcy is our first front engine dragster. The car leaves well, but can't run a six. Nice pass for Edwards after a 1.045 sixty foot time.
Left Lane: Arnie Martel Runs 9.174/145.38/-0.496, Now #9 I/SMA Index: 9.67
Right Lane: Scott Benham No Time, Now #22 D/SM Index: 8.98
Major wheelstand for Martel off the line.. Benham leaves well and then clicks it about 330 out.
Left Lane: Alan Ellis Runs 7.388/136.14/0.128, Now #20 A/AP Index: 7.26
Right Lane: Frank Cervelli Runs 7.059/186.92/-0.511, Now #8 C/DA Index: 7.57
Ellis's little altered leaves well and then has a Big Bang near the 1000 foot mark. The scoop flies into the air and breaks up as it falls back down on the track. No drama for Cervelli and he is in the top half of the field.
Left Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 6.494/209.30/-0.576, Now #6 AA/AM Index: 7.07
Right Lane: Jacklyn Gebhardt Runs 6.646/204.54/-0.494, Now #12 A/DA Index: 7.14
Kaplan doesn't get his five second pass this time. He launches hard with a nice 1.008 sixtyfoot time, but has to double pump the throttle right away. He is way out of the groove and has his hands full getting the altered back into the middle of the lane.
Left Lane: Tom Brown Runs 8.353/159.02/-0.477, Now #14 F/ED Index: 8.83
Right Lane: Ed Sigmon Runs 8.760/149.70/-0.360, Now #18 C/SR Index: 9.12
Long time Comp family, Brown, will be fielding a new front engined four cylinder dragster at the Winternationals. Both cars run less than their best.
Left Lane: Brian Moscini No Time, Now #30 C/AA Index: 8.02
Right Lane: Kyle Rizzoli Runs 6.930/195.53/-0.460, Now #16 B/DA Index: 7.39
Moscini left before the tree and will not get a time. Rizzoli moves into the top half of the field for now.
Left Lane: Grant Lewis Runs 9.021/143.40/-0.539, Now #9 H/SMA Index: 9.56
Right Lane: Steve Holloway Runs 6.601/210.87/-0.569, Now #7 A/AA Index: 7.17
Two good passes into the top of the field and we finally get a bump spot. Brian Moscini is on the bump spot at 91.979.
Left Lane: Todd Patterson Runs 7.710/176.58/-0.600, Now #5 F/AA Index: 8.31
Right Lane: Scott McClay Runs 7.478/175.07/-0.392, Now #21 C/ED Index: 7.87
Nice pass for Patterson and another sixty under run.
Left Lane: Lee Sharp Runs 8.401/161.05/-0.599, Now #6 D/SMA Index: 9.00
Right Lane: Jim Cowan Runs 8.269/146.32/-0.521, Now #13 I/AA Index: 8.79
Sharp misses the sixty under group by a tad. Cowan doesn't run up to his usual best.
Left Lane: Doug Lambeck Runs 8.409/158.37/-0.591, Now #7 D/SMA Index: 9.00
Scott Kelley is on the bump spot at 0.902. Single pass for Lambeck and he runs into the top eight.
Left Lane: Dan Fletcher Runs 8.055/167.72/-0.605, Now #5 F/AA Index: 8.66
Last car. Fletcher makes a stong pass into the sixty under range.
11:55 a.m. Steve
Matusek is #1 at -0.800 under and Brian Darcy is on the bump spot at -0.178.
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