Sun, 15 Nov 2009, 06:56 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 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
    9 Mickey Ferro                          779 Daniel Oliver                
E3                   0.110  5.531 258.12     ****WINNER****  0.056  5.567 257.24
 Prior rounds:
E2    (K Ray       ) 0.028  5.561 259.61      (A DeJoria   ) 0.050  5.613 257.33
E1    (S Gasparrell) 0.069  5.593 257.92      (V Moats     ) 0.086  5.658 255.39
 Qualified:             #2  5.570 258.62                        #3  5.588 257.04

3:47 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 28.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,485 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

TAFC rookie Oliver continues to drive like a veteran, winning another round on a holeshot. Ferro was closing the gap all the way down the track, but Oliver's starting line advantage made the difference. Daniel Oliver's incremental margins: 60ft(0.048), 330 ft(0.044), 660ft(0.037), 1,000ft(0.027). MOV: 0.0185 seconds (approximately 7 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Sean O'Bannon                           2 Steve Harker                 
E3   ****WINNER****  0.055  5.538 259.66                     0.037  5.571 252.00
 Prior rounds:
E2    (B Hough     ) 0.041  5.542 259.96      (J Lombardo J) 0.052  5.542 256.70
E1    (T Carter    ) 0.104  5.607 258.91      (P Gill      ) 0.058  5.576 258.71
 Qualified:             #1  5.562 257.28                        #4  5.596 257.09

O'Bannon has been denied national event wins in TAFC twice, Harker his opponent both times. He has won in TAD, but not in the flopper.

Harker left first, but O'Bannon ran his nemesis down past the 1,000-foot marker and will be looking for his first TAFC national event win, holding lane choice against Oliver. Sean O'Bannon's margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.026), 330 ft(-0.038), 660ft(-0.029), 1,000ft(-0.010). MOV: 0.0159 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink