Tue, 10 Feb 2009, 09:34 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of final, round 4 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                             2 Jim Whiteley                 
E4                   0.012  5.511 251.86     ****WINNER****  0.043  5.435 268.49
 Prior rounds:
E3    (E Schmeeckle) 0.062  5.270 266.85      (J Ahten     ) 0.076  5.285 269.35
E2    (K Wayman    ) 0.087  5.315 264.29      (J Davis     ) 0.052  5.292 268.92
E1    (A Bart      ) 0.216  5.307 265.06      (C Force     ) 0.145  5.516 263.46
 Qualified:             #4  5.408 263.62                        #2  5.374 266.64

6:23 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 58 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.02 inches, adjusted altitude 1,351 feet, track temperature 59 degrees.

2008 National #2 vs. Division 7 #2 come to the line for the first Full Throttle Top Alcohol Championship.

Demke is away first by 0.031 and stays out in front until after the 1000 foot lights, where he may have started to drop cylinders, based on his MPH. Whiteley runs clean all the way and was still -0.009 behind at 1000 feet. He thunders on by near the finish line for a seventeen foot win.

Jim Whiteley's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.049), 330 ft(-0.105), 660ft(-0.064), 1,000ft(-0.009). MOV: 0.0453 seconds (approximately 17 feet).

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.931 sec., 330ft-2.386, 660ft-3.580/205.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.621.
Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.613/215.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.599.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink