Sun, 16 Nov 2008, 04:28 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster 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
    1 Bill Reichert                         681 Shawn Cowie                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.091  5.249 279.79                     0.063  5.333 268.06
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Mirizio   ) 0.083  5.263 273.72      (K Buff Pesz ) 0.073  5.484 262.49
 Qualified:             #1  5.257 271.19                        #9  5.392 265.74

1:12 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.

The 2008 Champion gives up a couple of hundredths off the line and then just thunders on down the track for the car length win. Cowie was away first and stayed out in front until near the 1000-ft. mark.

Bill Reichert's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.050), 330 ft(-0.081), 660ft(-0.041), 1,000ft(0.015). MOV: 0.0564 seconds (approximately 22 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   73 Cody Perkins                         7444 Del Cox Jr.                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.026  5.388 263.36                     0.039  5.617 256.89
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Force     ) 0.061  5.357 264.49      (C Force     ) 0.074  5.637 251.81
 Qualified:             #6  5.388 261.98                       #14  5.433 266.85

Perkins is away first and has the wheels up at the green. He is well out in front by sixty feet and continues to pull ahead to the finish line. Cox's fueler was never in the hunt with dropped cylinders.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Mark Niver                              4 Jim Whiteley                 
E2                   0.072  9.338 142.61     ****WINNER****  0.050  5.324 269.19
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Ahten     ) 0.144  8.612 118.48      (M Thacker   ) 0.058  5.358 269.46
 Qualified:            #15  5.459 264.65                       #10  5.408 265.74

Niver's season ends with major spin and smoke at the green.Whiteley shows that the blown cars are here to win and makes another great pass, quicker than he qualified. He have lane choice over Perkins in round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Duane Shields                         613 Joey Severance               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.050  5.331 269.73                     0.038  5.359 266.79
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Lewis     ) 0.037  5.374 269.03      (C Demke     ) 0.000  5.409 266.00
 Qualified:             #5  5.374 269.40                       #13  5.424 264.08

Severance's TAD gets a small advantage off the line and stays there until after the 1000-ft. lights. Shield's fueler makes a top end charge and narrowly takes the win.

Duane Shields' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.018), 330 ft(-0.066), 660ft(-0.039), 1,000ft(-0.001). MOV: 0.0169 seconds (approximately 7 feet).Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.455, 660ft-3.567/225.86 mph, 1,000ft-4.509
Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.401, 660ft-3.540/216.31 mph, 1,000ft-4.520

1:20 p.m. Reichert will keep lane choice in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink