Sat, 17 Apr 2010, 09:14 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, 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   69 Mike Austin                            64 Dale Carlson                 
E1                   0.036  5.472 260.36     ****WINNER****  0.050  5.394 261.98
 Qualified:             #9  5.473 262.54                        #8  5.470 257.04

Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 13 percent, barometer 27.73 inches, adjusted altitude 4,681 feet, track temperature 114 degrees.

Austin is out of the gate first, but Carlson has the difference made up by 250 feet and he runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Dale Carlson's MOV: 0.0642 seconds (approximately 25 feet). Dale Carlson's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.392, 660ft-3.546/213.60 mph, 1,000ft-4.540.

Austin with his quickest pass of the weekend in a losing effort. Mike Austin's incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.415, 660ft-3.596/208.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.609.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Cowie                           744 Courtney Force               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.140  5.406 262.23                     0.083  5.641 251.67
 Qualified:             #4  5.414 261.98                       #13  5.564 252.38

Force with the starting line advantage, but Cowie had the difference made up by the time they went by the Christmas tree. Cowie with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win...Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.379, 660ft-3.546/210.87 mph, 1,000ft-4.550.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  712 Larry Miersch                        6121 Ashley Bart                  
E1                   0.061  6.582 132.08     ****WINNER****  0.061  5.553 254.66
 Qualified:            #10  5.490 248.66                        #7  5.444 260.81

They leave together and Miersch had holes out right at the hit and had the chutes out early. Bart with a nice pass for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   73 Cody Perkins                          734 Johnny Ahten                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.003  5.454 260.11                     0.036  5.482 246.89
 Qualified:             #6  5.422 263.67                       #11  5.491 242.98

Perkins with a near perfect light and never trailed for the win by about 22 feet...Ahten was trailing a lot of engine smoke as he crossed the finish line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jim Whiteley                         7338 Brian Smith                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  5.466 261.98                     0.015  6.000 243.11
 Qualified:             #5  5.421 264.34                       #12  5.498 261.62

Smith with problems getting the car to fire and then when he does he did a short burnout, so not to make Whiteley wait too long. Smith is out of the gate first, but Whiteley has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree. Whiteley will give up lane choice to Cowie in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Mark Niver                           703D Kyle Rizzoli                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.095  5.531 260.56                     0.062  5.928 206.73
 Qualified:             #3  5.411 262.23                       #14  5.784 236.55

Rizzoli with the starting line advantage, but Niver has him chases down by 250 feet. Niver will give up lane choice to Perkins in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  613 Joey Severance                        745 Brittany Force               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.022  5.376 264.23                     0.120  6.046 249.16
 Qualified:             #2  5.401 263.51                       #15  5.884 252.05

Severance with a great light and the quickest pass in the class for the weekend for the win light...Severance has now beat all three of the Force girls...Severance will have lane choice over Bart in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6610 Brandon Johnson                         7 Chris Demke                  
E1                   0.039  6.280 212.13     ****WINNER****  0.065  5.433 264.65
 Qualified:            #16  6.286 210.11                        #1  5.400 263.31

Demke was the only higher qualified car to take the right lane. Demke qualified number one in Houston and here and that was the last time the same blown Top Alcohol dragster driver (Rick Santos) qualified number one in consecutive races was 146 races ago. Johnson was out of the gate first, but Demke had the difference made up by they went by the Christmas tree. Demke will give up lane choice to Carlson in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink