Sun, 1 Nov 2009, 01:50 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Duane Shields                        6610 Brandon Johnson              
E1                   0.077  5.327 269.29     ****WINNER****  0.035  5.327 268.12
 Qualified:             #3  5.315 261.93                       #14  5.418 260.36

Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 28.00 inches, adjusted altitude 2,786 feet, track temperature 68 degrees.

Johnson with the starting line advantage and wins on a hole shot. Brandon Johnson's MOV: 0.0426 seconds (approximately 17 feet). That puts an end to Shields Championship hopes, so it is down to Whiteley and Reichert.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Shawn Cowie                            77 Cody Perkins                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.042  5.538 257.87                    -0.028  6.237 155.96
 Qualified:             #5  5.338 269.19                       #12  5.415 261.32

Perkins turned on the red light and Cowie with the easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Mark Niver                           6067 Don St Arnaud                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  5.338 260.81                     0.245  5.405 256.75
 Qualified:             #4  5.322 264.44                       #13  5.416 257.33

St. Arnaud in his first National event and he is way late, but still runs a career best in a losing effort. Niver with another good looking pass for the win. He will have lane choice over Cowie in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 4843 Monroe Guest                          465 Michael Manners              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.035  5.164 281.77                     0.094 11.590  76.91
 Qualified:             #1  5.155 281.01                       #16  5.423 259.71

Guest with a big starting line advantage and then runs another great pass for the win. Guest pass is the fourth quickest and eighth fastest in the history of the sport. Monroe Guest's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.381, 660ft-3.457/229.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.366. Manners is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6121 Ashley Bart                           744 Courtney Force               
E1                  -0.055 15.854  43.99     ****WINNER****  0.052  7.605 240.00
 Qualified:             #7  5.355 264.65                       #10  5.393 265.12

This is the 500th race for the Alky cars since the Dragster and Funny Cars split into two categories. Jerry Darien is the crew chief on the Force cars and he was also the first winner in the first Dragster race. Bart red lights away her chances and Force is up in smoke as soon as she hits the throttle.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  734 Johnny Ahten                          613 Joey Severance               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.041  5.305 260.97                     0.012  5.357 261.78
 Qualified:             #8  5.385 257.92                        #9  5.389 264.55

Severance with the starting line advantage and the lead until about 800 feet when Ahten chases him down and takes the win by nine feet. Ahten with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Severance with his quickest pass of the season in a losing effort. Ahten will give up lane choice to Guest in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  745 Brittany Force                       6455 Dale Carlson                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.104  5.301 269.83                     0.036  5.428 256.36
 Qualified:             #2  5.282 262.64                       #15  5.423 262.39

Carlson with the starting line advantage, but Force has him chased down by around 800 feet. Force takes the win by around 22 feet and Carlson's engine lets go in the lights. Brittany will have lane choice over Courtney in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jim Whiteley                           65 Justin Davis                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.045  5.379 266.37                     0.048  5.431 261.52
 Qualified:             #6  5.351 267.80                       #11  5.406 263.92

They leave together and Whiteley has the lead at 330-foot mark and just increases it at every increment. Jim Whiteley's MOV: 0.0556 seconds (approximately 21 feet). Whiteley keeps his Championship hopes here with the win.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink