Sat, 15 Nov 2008, 05:48 PM Pro Stock Motorcycle Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: James Surber Runs 7.458/173.63, Now #20; Best prior run: 7.563/176.51, Was #20

2:29 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,867 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

This is it, the final Pro qualifying sessions of 2008. Surber starts off the session in bikes and even though he improves he'll not be racing on Sunday.

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Left Lane: Freddie Camarena Runs 7.403/176.90, Now #19; Best prior run: 7.417/176.84, Was #19

Camarena has problems getting the bike to shift and he's another Sunday spectator.

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Left Lane: Matt Guidera Runs 7.173/180.57, Now #17; Best prior run: 7.196/179.37, Was #17
Right Lane: Valerie Thompson Runs 13.992/51.92, Now #18; Best prior run: 7.393/179.85, Was #18

Guidera has won events this season but here, no joy. He fails to make the program and will be packing the trailer for the final time in 2008. Thompson sat up early as her bike spun the tire hard right off the starting line. More experience for her and that could be a pretty good team.

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Left Lane: Michael Phillips Runs 7.195/187.50, Now #14; Best prior run: 7.135/189.02, Was #14
Right Lane: Mike Berry Runs 7.196/181.79, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.148/182.65, Was #16

Phillips and Berry make just about identical passes and both remain right where they are in the field.

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Left Lane: Angie McBride Runs 7.117/182.53, Now #12; Best prior run: 7.123/182.62, Was #12
Right Lane: Peggy Llewellyn Runs 7.209/180.33, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.146/182.43, Was #15

I believe all those that could bump in have made their attempts and now were qualifying for position. Actually there's no change of position between the pair.

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Left Lane: Shawn Gann Runs 7.205/177.14, Now #11; Best prior run: 7.110/183.19, Was #11
Right Lane: Craig Treble Runs 7.136/180.57, Now #13; Best prior run: 7.134/185.84, Was #13

Treble has a little smoother shot at qualifying this time but fails to go quicker. Gann can't come within a tenth of his best.

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Left Lane: Chris Rivas Runs 7.115/181.25, Now #9; Best prior run: 7.094/179.66, Was #9
Right Lane: Steve Johnson Runs 7.865/124.10, Now #10; Best prior run: 7.107/186.56, Was #10

Johnson got closer and closer to the centerline and then appeared to lose an engine just before the lights. The numbers seem to confirm that idea. Rivas fails to improve as well.

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Left Lane: Chip Ellis Runs 7.055/185.64, Now #7; Best prior run: 7.049/187.31, Was #7
Right Lane: Junior Pippin Runs 7.137/180.33, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.057/184.75, Was #8

There was a big puff of smoke from Pippin's bike as he cleared the lights but his speed was about what he had run earlier. Ellis remains #7.

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Left Lane: Andrew Hines Runs 7.046/186.87, Now #6; Best prior run: 7.027/188.83, Was #6
Right Lane: Angelle Sampey Runs 7.003/185.00, Now #4; Best prior run: 7.024/185.33, Was #5

Sampey makes the quickest run of the session to this point and she moves up to #4. Hines on the other hand slows from his best.

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Left Lane: Hector Arana Runs 7.008/189.87, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.996/191.29, Was #3
Right Lane: Karen Stoffer Runs 7.124/183.42, Now #5; Best prior run: 7.015/186.38, Was #5

Arana was first in the sixes this weekend and just about does it again. He remains #3 and Stoffer is a tenth off her best.

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Left Lane: Matt Smith Runs 6.997/186.54, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.962/188.86, Was #1
Right Lane: Eddie Krawiec Runs 7.003/189.12, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.987/189.55, Was #2

Nothing changes here as Smith stays #1 and Krawiec #2. Sunday could be really interesting on Sunday.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink