Sun, 23 Aug 2009, 05:22 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   18 DJ Cox                               1383 Dan Roman                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.025  5.765 248.48                     0.210  5.792 250.69
 Prior rounds:
E1    (F Schuster  ) 0.036  5.807 246.80      (E Lourie    ) 0.184  5.714 250.00
 Qualified:            #13  5.845 244.47                       #12  5.845 248.25

5:11 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 55 percent, barometer 29.31 inches, adjusted altitude 3,380 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Cox was quicker at the tree and had the lower ET to take the win and move on to round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  326 Brian Harvanek                          9 Mickey Ferro                 
E2                   0.079  5.846 245.63     ****WINNER****  0.043  5.701 253.85
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S McNiece   ) 0.068  5.799 247.16      (D Pomponio  ) 0.053  5.667 253.75
 Qualified:            #11  5.844 245.72                        #3  5.745 250.88

Harvanek got a little loose at mid track and it slowed him. It probably did not matter because Ferro was well ahead of him at that point and was running straight down the groove.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1617 Lou Sgro                              308 Marc White                   
E2                   0.043  5.698 255.48     ****WINNER****  0.070  5.643 256.02
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Bojec     ) 0.031  5.720 248.20      (J Anderika  ) 0.038  5.607 256.36
 Qualified:             #2  5.723 253.95                       #10  5.819 246.35

Sgro was first out of the gate but White caught him just before the 330-foot marker. From there, White pulled ahead to get the win and lane choice over Ferro in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  147 Fred Tigges                             1 Frank Manzo                  
E2                   0.001  5.775 249.67     ****WINNER****  0.046  5.610 258.62
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Fiorini   ) 0.140  5.738 251.20      (M Nothstein ) 0.042  5.564 258.86
 Qualified:             #8  5.784 250.83                        #1  5.619 257.28

Tigges had a great light but could not hold the lead to 60 feet, when Manzo got by him to take the win. Manzo's car made a small move at about 800 feet or so, but it was not enough to keep him from earning lane choice over Cox in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink