Sun, 6 Jun 2010, 11:24 AM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 13th annual United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Miller Welders:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Duane Shields                        3662 Brian Mans                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.110  5.418 269.51                     0.017  5.615 246.17
 Qualified:             #1  5.333 268.92                       #16  5.654 250.32

9:55 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.17 inches, adjusted altitude 2,275 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

This is Shields' 100th race and he has qualified #1 13 times.

Mans rolled in deep, turning off the pre-stage bulb and led past half track, but then Shields took charge and won going away. Duane Shields' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.039), 330 ft(-0.090), 660ft(-0.031), 1,000ft(0.047). MOV: 0.1049 seconds (approximately 38 feet). Mans made his best run of the weekend, just didn't have enough muscle to hold off the Shortline Express freight train.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Cowie                            24 Robin Samsel                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.080  5.375 263.67                     0.132  5.552 250.23
 Qualified:             #2  5.338 262.59                       #15  5.542 252.99

Cowie left first and made another mid-thirties run for the win. Samsel was consistent all weekend, but needed to find a couple more tenths to have a chance here.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7051 Darren Nicholson                     4843 Monroe Guest                 
E1                   0.093  5.352 260.97     ****WINNER****  0.050  5.295 260.76
 Qualified:            #12  5.452 256.70                        #5  5.363 255.48

Guest had a good light, then ran low ET of the weekend, but Nicholson kept it close, even led briefly before falling back on the top end. Monroe Guest's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.043), 330 ft(-0.015), 660ft(0.030), 1,000ft(0.078). MOV: 0.1003 seconds (approximately 38 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Michael Manners                        54 Jared Dreher                 
E1                   0.045  9.074  93.86     ****WINNER****  0.059  5.498 255.53
 Qualified:             #3  5.351 271.73                       #14  5.515 251.44

Manners left first, then lost traction in a cloud of tire smoke, giving Dreher an upset win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jim Whiteley                           53 Edwin Schmeeckle             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.130  5.329 269.24                     0.078  5.411 261.47
 Qualified:             #4  5.353 261.47                       #13  5.474 260.11

Defending event champion Whiteley came in with a 57-22 round win record in national events.

Schmeeckle did all he could to change that to 57-23, leaving first and leading past half track, but Whiteley ran him down to win by half a car length. Jim Whiteley's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.039), 330 ft(-0.049), 660ft(-0.017), 1,000ft(0.008). MOV: 0.0308 seconds (approximately 12 feet). There was a flash of flame and a loud POP from Schmeeckle's engine in the lights, but the fire appeared to be out by the time the car stopped, surrounded by Safety Safari trucks. Whiteley faces Guest in round 2, Guest has lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Ken Perry                              35 Brandon Booher               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.073  5.349 263.36                    -0.016  5.426 260.51
 Qualified:             #6  5.385 260.71                       #11  5.452 256.99

Perry won this event in '05.

Booher left early and Perry made his best run of the weekend to earn lane choice against Dreher in Round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   33 Marty Thacker                         422 Malcolm Wahle                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.120  5.377 265.53                     0.092  5.448 247.38
 Qualified:            #10  5.444 264.44                        #7  5.389 250.78

Wahle outqualified Thacker this weekend, but he can never be called an underdog. Wahle had a small starting line advantage, but Thacker led before the 330-foot marker. Then it was close to 1,000 feet before Thacker pulled away as Wahle's engine started trailing a light haze. Marty Thacker's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.013), 330 ft(0.047), 660ft(0.031), 1,000ft(0.012). MOV: 0.0433 seconds (approximately 16 feet). Thacker made his best run of the weekend, but gives up lane choice to Cowie by two thousandths.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Bill Reichert                         487 Mark Taliaferro              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.154  5.278 267.53                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #8  5.415 266.79                        #9  5.431 262.74

As the two cars staged, Taliaferro two-stepped the throttle and rolled through the beams. Probably didn't matter, Reichert came back to form after struggling through qualifying and the Allstars and ran low ET of the weekend. He will have lane choice against Shields in Round 2.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink