Fri, 29 Oct 2010, 11:38 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 10th annual NHRA Las Vegas 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:

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Left Lane: Megan Mc Kernan No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.734/249.26, Was #16

7:32 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 27.84 inches, adjusted altitude 3,725 feet, track temperature 76 degrees.

Mc Kernan turned on the pre-stage bulb then the engine cut off, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.552/247.52, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.716/247.02, Was #15
Right Lane: Derek Flynn Runs 5.523/261.32, Now #8; Best prior run: 11.110/87.71, Was #17

Shields was on a good pass but put a cylinder out late in the run. Flynn goes right down the groove and gets in the show.

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Left Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.592/232.87, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.647/208.84, Was #16

Ahten moves around a little early in the run, then loses a cylinder late in the run and slows.

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Left Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.620/256.06, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.614/246.66, Was #15
Right Lane: Kyle Rizzoli Runs 5.455/259.41, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.516/254.18, Was #7

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove. Rizzoli improves and moves up a notch to the sixth spot. St. Arnaud slows a little and stays in the 15th spot.

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Left Lane: Brandon Pierce Runs 5.443/268.33, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.582/262.59, Was #13

Pierce makes a good run here, the quickest of the round so far, and he goes all the way to the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: Michael Manners Runs 5.526/258.37, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.573/261.83, Was #13
Right Lane: Darren Nicholson Runs 5.433/261.12, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.445/249.53, Was #6

Manners moved to the left, then back to the right, then got it under control for a decent pass. Nicholson made a straight, clean run and moves up a notch.

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.379/265.74, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.543/210.11, Was #12
Right Lane: Mike Austin Runs 5.422/263.41, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.406/265.06, Was #4

A couple of good looking passes here, both dragsters right down Broadway. Cowie makes the quickest pass of the round so far and moves ahead of Austin into the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: Monroe Guest Runs 5.466/260.91, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.543/261.93, Was #12
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.374/261.37, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.361/265.17, Was #2

Severance makes another good run but doesn't improve and stays in the second spot. Guest improves and moves up a few notches.

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Left Lane: Mark Taliaferro Runs 5.366/266.64, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.379/268.65, Was #3
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.365/266.79, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.354/267.06, Was #1

Taliaferro and Whiteley end the evening in style, glued together all the way through the run with the two quickest passes of the session.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink