Fri, 12 Feb 2010, 08:56 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 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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Left Lane: Brooks Brown Runs 11.667/94.01, Now #16; Best prior run: 9.042/119.13, Was #15
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 5.293/268.28, Now #1; Best prior run: 11.025/80.51, Was #16

5:20 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 28.94 inches, adjusted altitude 2,304 feet, track temperature 76 degrees.

Looks like Brittany learned a lot in school today! The fueler jumps off the line this time and thunders down the track to flies into the new #1 spot. After what we saw at the end of FC qualifying, this is terrific!

Brown's engine wasn't happy at the hit and drops cylinders before he clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.347/265.06, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.781/190.67, Was #14
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.327/267.00, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.578/140.77, Was #15

The two blown cars have the power this time and make a terrific side by side pass into the new #5 and #6 positions. Demke is away first and stays there from start to finish.

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.355, 660ft-3.508/214.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.501.
Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.340, 660ft-3.495/212.86 mph, 1,000ft-4.485.

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Left Lane: Art Trautman Runs 5.757/232.99, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.725/231.12, Was #15
Right Lane: Mike Austin Runs 5.580/254.57, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.592/255.82, Was #14

Trautman's fueler drops cylinder down track and slows from his prior best.

Austin picks up a little ET and stays #14.

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Left Lane: Del Cox Jr. Runs 7.801/113.71, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.570/256.21, Was #13
Right Lane: Ashley Bart No Time, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.537/228.89, Was #12

Bart's team tells her to get out of the car, when the engine won't start.

Cox's fueler makes a terrible burnout and then gets the wheels up at the green. It starts to spin the tires and move around on the track, so he clicks it off early.

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.393/262.08, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.401/263.46, Was #9
Right Lane: Brandon Johnson Runs 5.440/264.55, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.426/260.76, Was #10

Cowie gets the wheels up at the green and makes another great looking pass. It's a little quicker, but he will miss the top half of the field by 0.002 seconds.

Johnson,s fueler picks up some good MPH, but will stay #10 for now.

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.367, 660ft-3.534/210.18 mph, 1,000ft-4.538.
Brandon Johnson's incremental times: 60ft-0.994 sec., 330ft-2.524, 660ft-3.654/223.50 mph, 1,000ft-4.605.

5:33 p.m. Looks like some "Stuff" in Cowie's lane.

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Left Lane: Dale Carlson Runs 8.658/97.62, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.391/265.12, Was #8
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.383/268.12, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.311/268.65, Was #4

5:42 p.m. ...and we are back. It's dark now and the lighting makes it hard to see way down track.

Carlson car make a good move off the line and then rattled the tires near the 330 lights. There was a bunch of sparks from underneath the ccar and he slowed.

Whiteley made a strong bid for the top spot, but falls a little short of his weekend best. He'll stay #4.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.397, 660ft-3.552/213.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.543.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 9.108/90.93, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.306/251.39, Was #2

Last top alcohol dragster to try to improve their qualifying position. Courtney is looking to upset her sister from the #1 spot.

Not tonight! A 0.924 sixty foot tire and then shake and spin. That keeps Brittney in the top spot and Courtney in #2.

5:47 p.m. Brooks Brown is on the bump spot at 9.042.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink