Sun, 16 Nov 2008, 04:16 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  365 Bobby Martin                         7735 Steve Gasparrelli            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.050  5.647 253.52                     0.081  5.949 240.59
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Bateman   ) 0.060  5.685 253.90      (B Hough     ) 0.101  5.698 255.10
 Qualified:            #13  5.687 247.79                       #12  5.671 254.23

12:56 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 20 percent, barometer 28.93 inches, adjusted altitude 2,615 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.

Gasparrelli had a full pedal before half track and that was the weekend for he and the team. Martin got the win but wound up buried nose deep in the new gravel trap at the top end. For has deep as the car is buried there appears to be very little damage to the car.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jay Payne                              33 Marty Nothstein              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.116  5.598 256.36                     0.033  5.774 251.63
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Bellemeur ) 0.113  5.658 251.34      (A DeJoria   ) 0.115  5.666 252.38
 Qualified:             #3  5.585 258.17                        #6  5.647 252.71

Nothstein drilled Payne on the starting line but simply didn't have the performance to keep up after that.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   32 Mick Snyder                             6 Mickey Ferro                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.097  5.617 256.94                     0.022  6.066 241.54
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R August Jr ) 0.054  5.600 255.87      (D Gordon    ) 0.051  5.669 256.06
 Qualified:             #2  5.565 258.86                        #7  5.651 259.26

This was another pair where the lights don't matter. Ferro took a huge lead at the lights but Snyder had caught him by 330ft. Ferro's performance fell way off and Snyder earns a spot against Payne in the next round. Payne will choose the lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Steve Harker                          779 Daniel Oliver                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.106  5.578 251.11                     0.049 No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Hudson    ) 0.119  5.549 257.24      (D Cox       ) 0.053  5.682 245.90
 Qualified:             #1  5.556 252.57                        #8  5.660 253.23

Harker gets the win but that only tells a little of the story. Oliver has the car get really loose on him around half track and he crossed over behind Harker. Oliver barely missed a head on with the wall and got back into his lane before the finish. Whew! That was CLOSE!!! Harker will face Martin with lance choice in hand.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink