Fri, 25 Jun 2010, 01:38 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Dave Heitzman Runs 5.947/245.32, Now #1

12:59 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 29.17 inches, adjusted altitude 2,822 feet, track temperature 116 degrees.

Single for Heitzman to start the session. He has a fuel leak and the crew has to jump to get it stopped. He makes a lazy pass, but will have some numbers to tune to later day.

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Left Lane: Jerry Powell Runs 5.687/249.12, Now #1
Right Lane: Brandon Greco No Time, Now #3

Powell's blower goes bang just as he rolls through the water and dumps the chutes out on the line. The team pushes him back. I wonder if this was caused by the new safety rules or just too lean?

A little shake at the shift and a clean pass gets Powell a representative time near his career best ET. He sets a new best MPH.

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Left Lane: Arthur Gallant Runs 5.489/260.97, Now #1
Right Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 11.186/86.04, Now #4

Two fuelers this time.

Sample's car jumps ahead at the green and then strikes the tires. He clicks it and coasts on down the track.

Gallant gets a clean pass and will temporarily be number one.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 5.440/263.82, Now #1
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 5.505/260.31, Now #3

B. Force vs. C. Force Lots of red and white crew shirts on the line.

Two good passes and Courtney takes over the top spot, with Brittany sliding into the #3 spot.

Courtney is off the line first and leads her sister to the finish line.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.447, 660ft-3.612/214.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.596.
Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.482, 660ft-3.655/212.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.648.

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Left Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 17.801/34.84, Now #8
Right Lane: Dave Hirata Runs 5.599/253.66, Now #4

McPhillips looked to have broken the high pressure fuel line at the hit. There was a big cloud of fuel vapor over the roll bar and they were lucky to not experienced a big fire. It gets under the tires and the car slides around a little before he wisely clicks it off

Nice clean pass for Hirata into the new #4 spot without any drama.

Dave Hirata's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.518, 660ft-3.706/211.06 mph, 1,000ft-4.720.

Time for some track cleanup. The Asphalt Zamboni goes out and starts to sweep and drag the left lane

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Left Lane: Mike Kosky Runs 5.398/263.51, Now #1
Right Lane: Jared Dreher Runs 5.583/244.38, Now #5

1:21 p.m. ...and we are back.

Dreher gets off the line first and then has to watch Kosky march on by and pulls steadily ahead.

It's good enough to establish a new top time.

Mike Kosky's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.379, 660ft-3.542/211.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.547.

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Left Lane: Brandon Booher Runs 18.885/30.59, Now #12
Right Lane: Ken Perry Runs 5.551/258.96, Now #5

Perry was #6 nationally last year and Booher #5 in Division 3. Both are blown cars.

Well, that was different. Booher starts to smoke the slicks at the hit and then lifts. Perry's tires start to shake at the shift and one of the side panels folds back, as he went down the track. Just before the 1000 foot lights it flies off the car and into the air. He gets the car to the finish line without further drama and takes the new #5 spot.

The track is quickly checked for Dzus buttons and other spare parts.

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Left Lane: Darren Nicholson Runs 5.469/260.86, Now #3
Right Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.511/263.46, Now #6

West coast driver, East coast dragster in the left lane. Mister Number One in the right lane.

Nicholson flies off the line ahead of Reichert and has all of the incremental, except MPH to nail the new top spot. Great looking pass.

Reichert makes a good tuning pass and slots into the number six spot.

Darren Nicholson's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.408, 660ft-3.590/208.36 mph, 1,000ft-4.607.
Bill Reichert's incremental times: 60ft-1.007 sec., 330ft-2.544, 660ft-3.694/218.12 mph, 1,000ft-4.667.

1:32 p.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink