Fri, 12 Feb 2010, 05:02 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Right Lane: Brooks Brown Runs 9.042/119.13, Now #11; No Prior Run

1:28 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 28.97 inches, adjusted altitude 2,095 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

This will Brown's first attempt, as yesterday he wasn't able to run.

The engine isn't happy and loses a bunch of holes at the hit. He'll get one more try later.

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Left Lane: Brandon Johnson Runs 5.426/260.76, Now #4; Best prior run: 10.317/106.58, Was #12
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.401/263.46, Now #3; No Prior Run

This pair will give us a bump spot.

Two great looking passes and they run into the top of the field. Johnson was dropping cylinders after the thousand and still picks up eight spots on the ladder.

Nice pass for Cowie after yesterday's starting line problems.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 7.906/105.12, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.578/140.77, Was #12
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 5.306/251.39, Now #1; Best prior run: 16.597/41.90, Was #16

Courtney Force is on the bump spot at 16.597. Brittany will not be running today, as she is attending college classes.

Demke's car leaves hard, shakes the slicks, and then moves abruptly towards the wall. He pumps it and then lifts.

Force gets the launch right today and powers down the track to the new #1 spot. Nice looking run.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.394, 660ft-3.503/224.32 mph, 1,000ft-4.458.

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Left Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.310/253.99, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.679/222.99, Was #9
Right Lane: Del Cox Jr. Runs 5.570/256.21, Now #9; Best prior run: 14.643/67.68, Was #16

Del Cox Jr. is now on the bump spot at 14.643.

Both cars are capable of top half of the field performance and Ahten shows it! Strong pass, with dropped cylinders at the top end, move him into the new #2 position.

Cox has cylinders out at the hit, but is able to move seven spots up the ladder, just missing the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: Mike Austin Runs 9.623/85.59, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.592/255.82, Was #10
Right Lane: Joey Severance No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.781/190.67, Was #13

Brittany Force is on the bump spot at 11.025.

Severance has problems getting the engine started and the crew pushes it away.

Austin has a lot of shake off the line and then zings the tires at the shift. He clicks it and coasts on down.

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Left Lane: Ashley Bart Runs 5.542/259.01, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.537/228.89, Was #8
Right Lane: Art Trautman Runs 5.806/237.80, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.725/231.12, Was #12

The Lucas Oil/Omega 2000 Team worked hard to get Bart back out here today, after yesterday's blower bang.

Good numbers down low with a 0.916 sixty foot time, but Bart's car gets lazy down track and slows a little from yesterday.

Troutman's fueler is lazy off the line and can't improve.

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Right Lane: Dale Carlson Runs 5.391/265.12, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.708/242.50, Was #11

Carlson gets a single.

WOW! A wheels up launch, with some shake, and the Ridley Racing dragster is long gone! Neat to hear each shift on the pass, as he runs into the top half of the field.

Dale Carlson's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.393, 660ft-3.548/213.84 mph, 1,000ft-4.543.

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Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.335/268.54, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.311/268.65, Was #3
Right Lane: Mark Niver Runs 5.750/257.28, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.437/268.92, Was #8

Terrific looking pass for Whiteley, but no improvements. He drove through some shake off the line and pulled steadily ahead from start to finish.

Niver's fueler was dropping cylinders and will stay #8 for now.

1:56 p.m. Courtney force is number one at 5.306 and Brittany Force is on the bump spot at 11.025. One more chance this afternoon after the second Pro sessions.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink