Sun, 15 Nov 2009, 03:58 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Steve Harker                          735 John Lombardo Jr.            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.052  5.542 256.70                     0.082  5.588 255.00
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Gill      ) 0.058  5.576 258.71      (D Gordon    ) 0.054  5.590 257.28
 Qualified:             #4  5.596 257.09                        #5  5.619 256.60

12:46 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 29.00 inches, adjusted altitude 2,396 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

Harker left first and was never headed, but Lombardo was not far back and ran a career-best ET trying to run him down. Steve Harker's MOV: 0.0768 seconds (approximately 29 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Mickey Ferro                         7976 Keeter Ray                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.028  5.561 259.61                     0.142  7.486 127.10
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Gasparrell) 0.069  5.593 257.92      (T Bartone   ) 0.162  5.691 255.00
 Qualified:             #2  5.570 258.62                       #10  5.654 253.99

Ferro was in the other lane when Steve Gasparrelli had his spectacular accident - but never saw it because he was well clear of the starting line before the action began.

Ferro had a very good light here and Ray was a bit tardy, then Ray shook and slowed. Ferro was uncontested, posting his best run of the event.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Sean O'Bannon                           7 Brian Hough                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.041  5.542 259.96                    -0.011  5.637 253.85
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Carter    ) 0.104  5.607 258.91      (B Thiel     ) 0.021  5.624 255.39
 Qualified:             #1  5.562 257.28                        #8  5.642 255.29

Five-fifties seem to be the magic number for the winners this round, though this one was over at the start when Hough lit the red bulb. O'Bannon and Harker ran identical ETs,but O'Bannon had the bigger speed and will have lane choice in the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  779 Daniel Oliver                        710D Alexis De Joria              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.050  5.613 257.33                     0.085  5.620 259.06
 Prior rounds:
E1    (V Moats     ) 0.086  5.658 255.39      (S Burck     ) 0.039  5.677 256.89
 Qualified:             #3  5.588 257.04                       #17  5.744 255.43

Last pair. Oliver had the better light, then held on for the win. He meets Ferro in the semifinals, Ferro has lane choice (but that doesn't seem to be a factor).

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink