Sat, 6 Sep 2003, 11:21 AM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Bob Newberry                           10 Chuck Cheeseman
E1   ****WINNER****  0.071  5.633 252.80                     0.047  5.812 241.15
 Qualified:             #8  5.700 251.63                        #9  5.707 249.21

Current weather conditions: 64 degrees, 71 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.16 inches, with a track temperature of 81 degrees.

Cheeseman with the starting line advantage, but Newberry had him chased down by 330 feet and drove away with his best E.T. of the event.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Tate Branch                           171 Todd Veney
E1   ****WINNER****  0.110  5.667 249.44                           No Time
 Qualified:             #7  5.678 251.91                       #10  5.743 250.83

Veney is out on the starting line as he lives here in town, but car owner and crew were unable to return, so all he can do is watch as Branch runs his best pass of the event.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  136 Jim Sickles                            34 Kim Fritts
E1   ****WINNER****  0.091 10.385  84.14                           No Time
 Qualified:             #6  5.678 252.28                       #11  5.745 252.10

Fritts was here yesterday and made a time run, but must of hurt something because he is a no show today. Sickles launched into violent tire shake and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Marc White                             53 Vern Moats
E1   ****WINNER****  0.044  6.846 137.01                     0.125 22.918  30.32
 Qualified:             #4  5.652 252.80                       #13  5.766 247.11

Moats was Earlville yesterday and made the trek back here for round one. White with a big starting line advantage and then banged the blower and coasted through for the victory. Moats shook hard and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Steve Gasparrelli                     381 Mick Snyder
E1                   0.093  5.670 247.93     ****WINNER****  0.025  5.727 246.62
 Qualified:             #5  5.660 251.16                       #12  5.750 244.83

Snyder with a big starting line advantage and the power to hold off the hard charging Gasparrelli for the hole shot win by four feet. Snyder will have lane choice over White in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Frank Manzo                            33 Jeff Craig
E1                   0.058  5.798 255.63     ****WINNER****  0.033  5.762 250.46
 Qualified:             #3  5.639 253.14                       #14  5.820 250.04

Craig with a big starting line advantage and then Manzo with a lot of tire shake right off the starting line. Craig holds of Manzo for a big time upset here in round one and he will have lane choice over Sickles in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Bucky Austin                          545 Thomas Frickenschmidt
E1   ****WINNER****  0.056  5.659 252.38                     0.059  5.800 247.61
 Qualified:             #2  5.636 253.75                       #15  5.858 246.39

They leave together and then Austin just drove away with the win. He will have lane choice against Branch in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jay Payne                              36 Steve Addleman
E1   ****WINNER****  0.102  5.654 254.14                     0.062  5.817 241.89
 Qualified:             #1  5.597 257.19                       #16  5.867 241.41

Addleman is out of the gate first, but Payne has the difference made up by just past 330 feet and drive away for the win. Payne will give up lane choice to Newberry in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink