Sat, 14 Aug 2010, 06:48 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BRAINERD, Minn. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 29th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7051 Darren Nicholson                        3 Duane Shields                
E1                   0.046  5.439 256.26     ****WINNER****  0.097  5.356 265.90
 Qualified:             #8  5.513 253.56                        #5  5.403 264.80

This is rematch of the Gainesville final...Nicholson with the starting line advantage and the lead until just before finish line when Shields chases him down for the win. Duane Shields' MOV: 0.0327 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Cowie                           596 Randy Meyer                  
E1                   0.080  5.415 260.36     ****WINNER****  0.014  5.467 257.63
 Qualified:             #3  5.384 262.49                       #10  5.574 253.95

Meyer with the starting line advantage and takes the win by 0.0145 seconds (approximately 6 feet) on a hole shot win. Cowie carried the front end for about 200 feet.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   35 Brandon Booher                         33 Marty Thacker                
E1                   0.140  9.841  84.11     ****WINNER****  0.045  5.468 257.87
 Qualified:             #9  5.530 256.02                        #4  5.391 265.22

Thacker with the starting line advantage and never trailed as Booher is up in smoke. Thacker will have lane choice over Meyer in the next round by 0.001 second.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   69 Mike Austin                           489 Chase Copeland               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.056  5.416 259.36                     0.069  5.523 259.76
 Qualified:             #6  5.448 258.37                        #7  5.475 258.22

Austin with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Austin with the second quickest pass of the round. Mike Austin's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.372, 660ft-3.540/211.33 mph, 1,000ft-4.552.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Bill Reichert                        5050 Scott Palmer                 
E1                   0.089  5.389 260.26     ****WINNER****  0.072  5.398 252.61
 Qualified:             #2  5.368 262.23                       #11  5.870 189.07

Palmer with the starting line advantage and holds on for the hole shot win. Scott Palmer's MOV: 0.0084 seconds (approximately 3 feet). Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.427, 660ft-3.551/220.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.531. Palmer will give up lane choice to shields in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Chris Demke                                Bye
E1   ****WINNER****  0.126  5.320 267.75     
 Qualified:             #1  5.364 267.91                     Bye

Demke with the bye here and runs low E.T. of the weekend. he will have lane choice over Austin in the next round. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.355, 660ft-3.497/217.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.482.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink