Sun, 26 Sep 2010, 02:38 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   47 Brandon Pierce                         33 Marty Thacker                
E2                   0.045  5.470 257.73     ****WINNER****  0.063  5.345 266.21
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Booher    ) 0.082  6.345 181.20      (A Trautman  ) 0.096  5.395 262.90
 Qualified:             #6  5.536 263.46                        #3  5.442 263.46

Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 68 percent, barometer 29.44 inches, adjusted altitude 2,158 feet, track temperature 86 degrees.

This is the first time Pierce and Thacker have faced each other in eliminations. Pierce with the starting line advantage, but drifted out of the groove...Thacker is able to chase him down by 100 feet and then runs low E.T. of the weekend for the win. Marty Thacker's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.370, 660ft-3.515/215.34 mph, 1,000ft-4.503.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  464 Buddy Domingue                        489 Chase Copeland               
E2                  -0.141  5.525 249.49     ****WINNER****  0.055  5.459 264.49
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Brounkowsk) 0.033  5.465 246.12      (S Palmer    ) 0.075  5.438 274.50
 Qualified:             #5  5.515 250.64                        #4  5.489 271.84

This is the first time Domingue and Copeland have faced each other in eliminations. Domingue goes red, Copeland with another good looking pass for the win. Chase Copeland's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.446, 660ft-3.627/213.47 mph, 1,000ft-4.616.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 4238 Shayne Lawson                         487 Mark Taliaferro              
E2                   0.070 21.055  91.21     ****WINNER****  0.119  5.387 261.27
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Guest     ) 0.061  5.410 261.78      (M Manners   ) 0.063  5.534 255.53
 Qualified:             #8  5.572 260.31                       #13  6.148 248.20

This is the first time Lawson and Taliaferro have faced each other in eliminations. Lawson with severe tire shake and not sure if he shook the chute out or if he bang the blower, but the chute was out by 200 feet. Taliaferro with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Mark Taliaferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.438, 660ft-3.566/221.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.537. He will give up lane choice to Thacker in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
        Bye                                   2 Jim Whiteley                 
E2                                            ****WINNER****  0.034  5.352 269.13
 Prior rounds:
E1                                           (J Thompson  ) 0.066  5.348 266.32
 Qualified:                                                       #1  5.389 267.53

Whiteley rattled the tires right off the starting line, but still runs the second quickest pass of the weekend. Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.397, 660ft-3.537/217.21 mph, 1,000ft-4.518. Whiteley will have lane choice in the semifinal against Copeland.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink