Sun, 22 Feb 2009, 05:56 PM Competition Eliminator Final, Round 5 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of final, round 5 eliminations in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual Lucas Oil Slick Mist NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
    6 Lou Ficco                               1 Dan Fletcher                 
E5                  -0.030  7.829 130.19     ****WINNER****  0.023  9.865  98.64
       B/AP Index: 7.80 (+/-):  0.029            C/EA Index: 8.54 (+/-):  1.325
 Prior rounds:
E4    (J Lamb      ) 0.001  7.415 -0.385      (D Lambeck   ) 0.016  8.492 -0.048
E3    (T Patterson ) -0.017  7.948  0.148      (B Browell   ) 0.038  8.038 -0.602
E2    (T Mettler   ) 0.127  7.296 -0.584      (M DePalma   ) 0.019  8.722  0.082
E1    (T Shambaugh ) 0.103 12.476  4.596      (R Goodman   ) 0.063  8.733  0.093
 Qualified:            #13  7.318 -0.562                       #10  8.034 -0.606

3:48 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 22 percent, barometer 28.86 inches, adjusted altitude 2,821 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Ficco makes three finals in a row where the red light is the deciding factor. He goes -.030 red and hands Fletcher his fourth straight Comp title at NHRA national events, a feat that no one else has ever accomplished! That also makes his fifth overall Comp title in less than two full seasons in the class. As an aside this title also ties him for eighth place in total national event wins overall with fifty eight.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink