Sun, 16 Aug 2009, 04:28 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BRAINERD, Minn. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 28th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  717 Brian Thiel                            63 Clint Thompson               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.023  5.780 249.81                     0.092  5.871 250.46
 Qualified:             #8  5.795 246.44                        #7  5.780 248.80

Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 67 percent, barometer 28.42 inches, adjusted altitude 3,440 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Thiel with the starting line and runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win light. Thompson drives through a lot tire shake and can't chase down Thiel.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  301 Fred Hagen Jr.                        556 Lance Van Hauen              
E1                   0.136  8.463 105.76     ****WINNER****  0.155  5.718 245.54
 Qualified:             #6  5.778 248.07                        #9  5.810 243.24

Hagen Jr. with tires shake and then starts to drop cylinders and clicks it off. Van Hauen with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  551 Vern Moats                           6843 Ken Webster                  
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.082  6.208 174.66
 Qualified:            #11  5.875 210.70                        #5  5.772 250.46

Moats is a no show...Webster loses an engine with quick flash of flames around 1000 feet.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Brian Hough                           501 Scott McVey                  
E1                   0.107  5.689 251.58     ****WINNER****  0.064  5.720 250.83
 Qualified:             #4  5.769 247.34                       #10  5.841 233.12

McVey with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the win by 0.0126 seconds (approximately 5 feet). This is only the second National event round win for McVey. He will have lane choice over Webster in round two. McVey with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win and Hough with his quickest pass in a losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Roger Bateman                         518 Bruce Carlson                
E1                   0.402  5.718 256.02     ****WINNER****  0.005  6.080 209.88
 Qualified:             #3  5.726 249.16                       #12  5.945 243.55

Carlson with an almost perfect light and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Bruce Carlson's MOV: 0.0358 seconds (approximately 13 feet). Carlson banged the blower right in the lights. Bateman with his quickest pass of the weekend in a losing effort. Carlson will give up lane choice to Van Hauen in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Mick Snyder                            39 Wayne Butler                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.139  5.778 250.55                     0.078  5.950 227.15
 Qualified:             #2  5.705 252.19                       #13  6.049 229.74

Butler with the starting line advantage, but Snyder is able to chase him down by 400 feet and takes the win light and he will have lane choice over Thiel in round two. Butler with his quickest pass in a losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Frank Manzo                          3377 Rick Cortino                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.058  5.555 261.37                     0.073  6.292 206.99
 Qualified:             #1  5.620 255.58                       #14  6.587 212.73

Manzo is facing his 196th different driver in National event competition. Manzo is out of the gate first and then blast on through the 1320 with the quickest and fastest pass of the event. Manzo will have the bye in the next round. Frank Manzo's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.485, 660ft-3.681/207.50 mph, 1,000ft-4.696. Cortino with his quickest pass in a losing effort.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink