Sat, 7 Feb 2009, 02:40 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

---

Left Lane: Doug Hegge Runs 5.579/263.92, Now #1; No Prior Run

11:04 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 56 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 28.75 inches, adjusted altitude 1,595 feet, track temperature 71 degrees.

Weak burnout for Hegge as he warms up for his first hit. He left before the tree on Thursday but goes straight to the top of the eight cars that have recorded runs. Burnouts have never meant much about how the car runs.

---

Left Lane: Brandon Johnson Runs 5.512/258.67, Now #1; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 5.547/246.89, Now #2; No Prior Run

B.Force was another driver that lost a run due to leaving before the tree so this should be her first hit. Johnson was waiting his turn when the rains came on Thursday. Lots of clouds and very dark outside right now. Johnson popped and banged at the hit but when the numbers came up on the boards he was the new #1. Force was just .03 behind and she goes to #2.

---

Left Lane: Justin Davis Runs 5.467/250.41, Now #1; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Del Cox Jr. Runs 7.840/137.40, Now #11; No Prior Run

Cox rattled the tires hard at the start and it just didn't get any better from there. He was coasting before half track. Davis used every inch of his lane and got really close to the center stripe at the finish. He wandered all the way to the top of the field though.

---

Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.408/263.62, Now #1; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Edwin Schmeeckle Runs 5.537/243.37, Now #4; No Prior Run

Davis's #1 lasted only until Demke's numbers hit the screen. He just missed top speed by .3 mph as well. Schmeeckle goes well into the field at #4. This makes fourteen cars that have recorded numbers for the class.

---

Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.356/268.65, Now #1; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Randy Eakins Runs 5.421/261.88, Now #3; No Prior Run

It appears that rain is all around us but so far it's held off. Cowie is the new leader in the clubhouse and now holds top speed as well. Eakins wasn't far behind but that 5.421 will only make him #3. We now have a bump and it's Bill Dunlap.

---

Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.374/266.64, Now #2; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 6.148/165.54, Now #15; No Prior Run

This is unusual, two blown cars. Whitely just misses the top spot and has to settle for the second spot. Severance had good numbers but there was a loud bang from the burst panel that was followed by that whine.

---

Left Lane: Bill Dunlap Runs 7.329/159.19, Now #18; Best prior run: 12.816/65.14, Was #18
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.396/264.55, Now #3; No Prior Run

Dunlap is up in Mark Foster's very different rear engined car. He's also been bumped down to #18. The tree came down and Dunlap waited until Shields had crossed the finishline. Shields goes to #3 but Dunlap lost several cylinders and was coasting on the top end. They likely will not get another shot at qualifying.

---

Left Lane: Larry Miersch Runs 5.784/247.70, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.374/160.98, Was #17
Right Lane: Ashley Bart Runs 5.607/217.21, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.000/242.93, Was #15

Miersch had holes in the left bank out at the hit and goes into the field on the bump. Bart was #15 but runs a career best to move to twelfth.

---

Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 6.132/224.88, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.687/251.58, Was #14
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.427/256.26, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.703/239.87, Was #15

Way to many holes out on Force's racer and it shows in the ET. There are two cars left and she's now #15. Ahten goes right into the top half of the field.

---

Left Lane: Dennis Swearingen Runs 5.648/232.51, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.629/252.57, Was #14
Right Lane: Kevin Wayman Runs 6.109/166.52, Now #17; No Prior Run

Swearingen did get a hit on Thursday so he's in the show at #14. Wayman did not have that advantage so this is do or die. He was well on his way until there was a flash and a bang from the manifold area of his blown alky racer. He just misses. Swearingen wandered the lane and actually failed to improve on his second run. He's still in the show. That ends the qualifying for the dragster field and round one is scheduled for later today.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink