Sat, 26 Jun 2010, 03:50 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

NORWALK, Ohio - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  348 John Hart                               1 Frank Manzo                  
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.174  6.027 184.37
 Qualified:            #16  5.939 244.65                        #1  5.539 259.96

Hart double stepped it and left before the tree was activated. He got real loose and over by the wall before he lifted. Manzo with problems early and clicked it off and took the easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   57 Wayne Butler                            6 Mickey Ferro                 
E1                   0.101  6.312 189.44     ****WINNER****  0.098  5.660 255.39
 Qualified:            #15  5.933 238.09                        #2  5.593 256.06

Ferro with the slight starting line advantage and then make a great looking run for the win. Mickey Ferro's MOV: 0.6555 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  307 Cassie Simonton                      710D Alexis De Joria              
E1                   0.197  5.848 251.53     ****WINNER****  0.128  5.686 257.43
 Qualified:            #14  5.846 252.10                        #3  5.649 258.02

In the thirty year of Alcohol Funny Car racing two women before had never raced each other before Englishtown two weeks ago. Now for two races in a row we have women racing each other. De Joria with the starting line advantage and then blast on through for the win. She is now two and oh against women drivers. Simonton was just tick off her qualifying time in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 John Anderika                         556 Lance Van Hauen              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.174  5.716 249.30                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #4  5.659 250.64                       #13  5.810 243.24

Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 3,782 feet, track temperature 125 degrees.

Van Hauen couldn't get the car to start so Anderika gets the freebie here. Anderika with a good clean pass for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  193 Larry Dobbs                           303 Todd Veney                   
E1                   0.166  5.874 247.61     ****WINNER****  0.104  5.703 253.42
 Qualified:            #12  5.771 252.80                        #5  5.679 254.47

Veney is out of the gate first and makes a real nice pass to take the win. Veney will have lane choice over Anderika in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Steve Harker                          572 Brent Henry                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.076  5.643 255.58                     0.057 No Time      
 Qualified:             #6  5.687 254.09                       #11  5.740 249.58

Henry with the starting line advantage, but Harker has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree. Harker with low E.T. of the round for the win and will have lane choice against De Joria in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  153 Jason McKnight                         63 Clint Thompson               
E1                   0.106 11.002  88.91     ****WINNER****  0.086  5.649 256.80
 Qualified:             #9  5.730 248.07                        #8  5.698 255.19

Thompson is out of the gate first and never trails as McKnight is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Thompson with his quickest pass of the weekend will have lane choice against Manzo in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 Paul Gill                              37 John Bojec                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  5.739 251.67                     0.162  6.194 243.85
 Qualified:            #10  5.732 248.71                        #7  5.689 256.84

Gill with the starting line advantage and never trails as he is just a few ticks off his qualifying time. Bojec shook right off the starting line ad pedaled it, but couldn't chase Gill down. Gill will give up lane choice to Ferro in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink