Tue, 10 Feb 2009, 08:08 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 3 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   72 Chris Demke                            51 Edwin Schmeeckle             
E3   ****WINNER****  0.062  5.270 266.85                     0.101  5.305 268.06
 Prior rounds:
E2    (K Wayman    ) 0.087  5.315 264.29      (S Cowie     ) 0.290  5.287 270.54
E1    (A Bart      ) 0.216  5.307 265.06      (B Johnson   ) 0.044  5.405 245.81
 Qualified:             #4  5.408 263.62                        #9  5.537 243.37

4:52 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 29.02 inches, adjusted altitude 1,666 feet, track temperature 77 degrees.

The sun is starting to set and the track conditions are still primo.

WOW! What a race! Demke gets a head start and a nice 0.888 sixty foot time to hold off a charging Schmeeckle. From the 330 lights to the finish line the two cars kept a 0.074 plus margin. Demke also gets a new career best ET.

Chris Demke's incremental margins: 60ft(0.054), 330 ft(0.071), 660ft(0.074), 1,000ft(0.075). MOV: 0.0745 seconds (approximately 29 feet).

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.314, 660ft-3.450/217.11 mph, 1,000ft-4.431.
Edwin Schmeeckle's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.346, 660ft-3.485/216.72 mph, 1,000ft-4.467.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jim Whiteley                          734 Johnny Ahten                 
E3   ****WINNER****  0.076  5.285 269.35                     0.065  5.762 251.63
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Davis     ) 0.052  5.292 268.92      (D Swearingen) 0.071  5.475 249.12
E1    (C Force     ) 0.145  5.516 263.46      (D Hegge     ) 0.068  5.517 239.91
 Qualified:             #2  5.374 266.64                        #6  5.427 256.26

Ahten gets his fueler off the line first, but starts to drop holes by the three thirty lights.

Whiteley was only 0.010 behind at the green and was in front before sixty feet. He continued to power ahead the rest of the way down the track for the hundred foot win. He runs within 0.020 seconds of his career best ET.

4:58 p.m. Whiteley will have lane choice in the finals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink