Sun, 23 Aug 2009, 09:08 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 3 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster 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
  185 Mike Kosky                              5 Duane Shields                
E3                  -0.026 10.205  77.76     ****WINNER****  0.087  5.343 267.43
 Prior rounds:
E2    (D Nicholson ) 0.116  5.471 253.56      (K Winward   ) 0.111  5.293 269.67
E1    (R Bourke    ) 0.251  5.386 259.36      (B Evans     ) 0.115  5.395 269.35
 Qualified:             #7  5.490 226.77                        #6  5.486 258.17

8:03 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 65 percent, barometer 29.36 inches, adjusted altitude 2,963 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Kosky left too soon and lit the red light. When Kosky launched, his car trailed smoke for about 200 feet until he shut it down. Shields took his car down the groove for the win. It looks like Kosky's car left some oil on the track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 John Finke                            394 Mike Lewis                   
E3                   0.027  5.617 253.90     ****WINNER****  0.032  5.600 263.05
 Prior rounds:
E2    (K Perry     ) 0.061  5.436 263.36      (R McPhillips) 0.036  5.304 268.81
E1    (D Martinets ) 0.143  5.471 271.02      (B Horner    ) 0.050  5.470 261.93
 Qualified:             #1  5.322 265.69                        #5  5.474 263.00

8:54 p.m. - Racing resumed after a 50-minute delay to clean up after Mike Kosky's oil spill. Lewis and Finke came off the starting line at about the same time. Lewis pulled out in front at 60 feet but then Finke started to close the gap. Finke had the lead at 1,000 feet, but then Lewis got back out in front to get the win. Lewis was runner-up here last year in his only other national event appearance and will be going to his second final round here. Mike Lewis' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.083), 330 ft(0.033), 660ft(0.001), 1,000ft(-0.005). MOV: 0.0123 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink