Sun, 10 Oct 2010, 01:28 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 26th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   37 John Bojec                            125 Eric Lourie                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.049  5.675 254.71                     0.062  5.670 250.83
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Bogolo    ) 0.070  5.792 255.05      (F Schuster  ) 0.096  5.824 250.09
 Qualified:             #3  5.626 255.97                        #6  5.698 251.34

1:18 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 29.33 inches, adjusted altitude 2,136 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.

Bojec was quicker off the starting line and led to 330 feet. His car got a little loose after that and Lourie pulled ahead for the win. Bojec got his car straightened out and got by Lourie after the 1,000 foot marker to take the win and move on to the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  147 Fred Tigges                           303 Todd Veney                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.034  5.625 241.32                     0.076  5.597 256.45
 Prior rounds:
E1    (W Butler    ) 0.231  5.889 253.42      (J Anderika  ) 0.093  5.549 258.27
 Qualified:             #5  5.682 255.29                       #13  5.792 253.71

Tigges was quicker out of the gate and held on for the win. Veney was closing the gap as they traveled down the track but he ran out of room. Tigges got the holeshot win and will move on to the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Steve Harker                           38 Brian Harvanek               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.079  5.550 258.27                     0.050  5.810 245.32
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Naves     ) 0.055  5.539 259.51      (W Morris    ) 0.115  5.739 250.78
 Qualified:             #1  5.605 256.99                        #8  5.715 252.71

Harvanek had the quicker reaction time but Harker made up the difference and more before they reached 60 feet. After that, Harker pulled away for the win. he'll race Tigges in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 Paul Gill                               1 Frank Manzo                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.003  5.618 255.15                     0.024  5.644 258.71
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Headley   ) 0.191  5.874 243.46      (T Carter    ) 0.079  5.517 261.22
 Qualified:             #2  5.618 250.09                       #10  5.765 255.82

Gill won this race in 1999, and Manzo has won here every year since then. This time, Gill became the first driver to beat Manzo here at Maple Grove since 1999. Gill was quicker at the tree and one the track and that nearly always makes for a win. Gill will race Bojec in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink