Thu, 13 Nov 2008, 04:50 PM Pro Stock Motorcycle Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, rider name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: James Surber Runs 7.548/160.98, Now #1

1:29 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 28.82 inches, adjusted altitude 3,329 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Surber lifted early and coasted on out to open the bike session.

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Left Lane: Valerie Thompson Runs 7.255/178.50, Now #1
Right Lane: Freddie Camarena Runs 7.482/179.06, Now #2

We have the chance to have a record number of women in this field. Thompson takes her first shot next to Camarena.

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Left Lane: Ryan Schnitz Runs 7.374/175.91, Now #3
Right Lane: Michael Phillips Runs 7.135/189.02, Now #1

Phillips picks up a couple of tenths over the early runners and takes over the qualifying lead. Schnitz with a baseline run.

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Left Lane: Peggy Llewellyn Runs 7.211/181.40, Now #2
Right Lane: Shawn Gann Runs 7.212/178.64, Now #3

These numbers are just not quite what I was looking for in this session.

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Left Lane: Junior Pippin Runs 7.138/182.53, Now #3
Right Lane: Angie McBride Runs 7.123/182.62, Now #1

Pippen has been running engines from his own program, started with the recent Las Vegas event. His 7.04 there was quick for that session. McBride is the one that takes over the qualifying lead.

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Left Lane: Mike Berry Runs 7.198/181.37, Now #5
Right Lane: Hector Arana Runs 7.134/185.03, Now #2

Arana can't quite catch McBride for the top spot. Berry is in for the moment but the hitters are working their way towards the starting line.

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Left Lane: Karen Stoffer Runs 7.109/183.67, Now #1
Right Lane: Matt Guidera Runs 7.167/182.21, Now #6

Women now hold down the top two spots in the field as Stoffer moves McBride down to #2. Guidera is in the field for now.

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Left Lane: Craig Treble Runs 7.134/185.84, Now #4
Right Lane: Chip Ellis Runs 7.112/185.13, Now #2

Ellis breaks up the Stoffer/McBride one and two as he hammers out a 7.112 on the Schumacher Electric Suzuki. Treble is close behind at #4.

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Left Lane: Steve Johnson Runs 7.107/186.56, Now #2
Right Lane: Andrew Hines Runs 7.058/188.28, Now #1

Hines becomes the only rider to put his bike in the 7.0s and of course takes the qualifying lead. Johnson moves the remainder of the field down with his run.

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Left Lane: Angelle Sampey Runs 7.024/185.33, Now #1
Right Lane: Chris Rivas Runs 26.401/24.21, Now #19

Pretty strange here as it sounded like one of the bikes had a stuck throttle and they staged anyway. Rivas might have been the one as his bike had real problems. Sampey goes to the top of the heap and awaits the final pair behind her.

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Left Lane: Eddie Krawiec Runs 7.017/187.23, Now #1
Right Lane: Matt Smith Runs 7.024/186.48, Now #2

Krawiec nails down the top spot and Sampey doesn't even get to settle for second. Smith duplicates her ET and then takes the #2 spot based on his better mph. Like I said, a little slower session than I thought it would be.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink