Fri, 25 Jun 2010, 04:34 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from round 2 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

---

Left Lane: Brandon Greco Runs 5.708/249.21, Now #11; No Prior Run

4:05 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 29.13 inches, adjusted altitude 3,144 feet, track temperature 124 degrees.

Field not filled, no bump spot. Greco was backing up from his burnout almost as fast as he went down!

Nice improvement, as Greco gets to the finish line under power and moves into the #11 spot.

Brandon Greco's incremental times: 60ft-0.977 sec., 330ft-2.514, 660ft-3.747/200.50 mph, 1,000ft-4.807.

---

Left Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 5.661/248.98, Now #11; Best prior run: 11.186/86.04, Was #13
Right Lane: Brandon Booher Runs 5.550/249.76, Now #7; Best prior run: 18.885/30.59, Was #15

...and the hits keep coming. Both cars get representative runs to tune to this time with Booher moving into the current top half of the field in the #7 position.

Robin Samsel's incremental times: 60ft-1.010 sec., 330ft-2.577, 660ft-3.755/213.10 mph, 1,000ft-4.772.
Brandon Booher's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.430, 660ft-3.626/205.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.661.

---

Left Lane: Dave Heitzman Runs 6.183/219.40, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.947/245.32, Was #14
Right Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 5.767/234.98, Now #14; Best prior run: 17.801/34.84, Was #15

Heitzman's car would initially go into reverse and the crew went running down the track to remedy the problem. He gets back and stages without a problem.

Both cars are a little lazy off the line and McPhillips makes a full pass this time to switch positions with Heitzman on the ladder.

Heitzman's engine isn't happy and he slows down track.

---

Left Lane: Dave Hirata Runs 5.674/246.03, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.599/253.66, Was #10
Right Lane: Jerry Powell Runs 19.375/30.97, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.687/249.12, Was #12

Powell shakes hard at the green and he has to lift. He coasts on down.

Hirata slows a little from earlier today.

---

Left Lane: Ken Perry No Time, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.551/258.96, Was #8
Right Lane: Arthur Gallant Runs 5.671/237.05, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.489/260.97, Was #4

Perry has the blower bang in the burnout, with the chutes dumping out on the ground.

Gallant has a nice 0.983 sixty foot time, but can't maintain the pace down the track.

---

Left Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.441/262.90, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.511/263.46, Was #6
Right Lane: Darren Nicholson Runs 5.466/260.86, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.469/260.86, Was #3

Nicholson drives through a ton of shake off the line and that gives Reichert a chance to move around him on a better pass. He move up three spots to the new #3 spot.

Bill Reichert's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.469, 660ft-3.619/217.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.596.
Darren Nicholson's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.415, 660ft-3.593/210.31 mph, 1,000ft-4.604.

---

Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 5.769/258.52, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.505/260.31, Was #6
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 5.620/252.19, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.440/263.82, Was #2

The Force girls are next, now in opposite lanes.

Both cars get from start to finish without any problems, but won't improve.

Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-1.012 sec., 330ft-2.708, 660ft-3.905/211.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.907.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.975 sec., 330ft-2.520, 660ft-3.723/207.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.741.

4:28 p.m. That's a wrap for this session. One more tomorrow. Mike Kosky is number one at 5.398.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink