Sat, 4 Jun 2011, 08:06 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual NHRA SuperNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Duane Shields                         118 Ken Winward                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  5.338 274.39                     0.075  5.702 198.00
 Qualified:             #4  5.342 271.52                       #13  5.490 258.76

7:18 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 1,466 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

Winward made his burnout, then had trouble getting into reverse. His crew came out and gave his car a push so he could get the car in gear. Winward got out of the gate first and had the lead to 660 feet. After that, his car lost power and slowed. Shields had his quickest run of the weekend so he easily got by Winward to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   15 Dan Mercier                          1482 Richard Bourke               
E1                   0.089  9.030  91.36     ****WINNER****  0.055  5.345 265.22
 Qualified:             #6  5.360 269.03                       #11  5.427 259.86

Mercier launched and shook the tires, started to go sideways and headed toward the center line. He backed off the throttle to get the car straightened out. Bourke had his quickest run of the weekend to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1900 Daniel Page                          1712 Dave DeAngelis               
E1                   0.069  5.527 264.86     ****WINNER****  0.044  5.491 258.47
 Qualified:             #1  5.298 269.29                       #16  5.652 220.62

Page is driving the car he built for Art Gallant a couple of years ago. He launched and got the front tires a little bit in the air. When the front end came down, the rear tires shook. Meanwhile, DeAngelis took his dragster straight down the groove for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3413 Mike Comella                          110 Rich McPhillips              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.041  5.276 267.48                     0.030  5.475 247.02
 Qualified:             #7  5.381 259.16                       #10  5.424 252.05

This is Comella's first national event in Top Alcohol Dragster. He used to run an IHRA alcohol funny car. Steve Federlin is helping him out this weekend. McPhillips got off the starting line first but Comella passed him before they hit 60 feet. Comella had his lowest ET of the weekend to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 John Finke                           1072 Bruce Horner                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.044  5.413 266.11                    -0.181  5.854 216.55
 Qualified:             #2  5.298 268.06                       #15  5.567 236.22

Horner went red but drove down the track with smoke trailing the entire way down the track. Finke will race Comella in the next round and Comella will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  185 Mike Kosky                           1008 Tom Pickett                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.158  5.350 266.32                     0.024  5.583 256.11
 Qualified:             #3  5.316 263.98                       #14  5.534 257.73

Pickett got off the starting line way before Kosky and led the race to 330 feet. After that, Kosky got by him to take the lead and the win. After they crossed the finish line, only one of Kosky's chutes opened so he had to hit the brakes hard to stop. Kosky will race Bourke in the next round and Bourke will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   18 Karen Stalba                            1 Bill Reichert                
E1                   0.192  5.436 253.18     ****WINNER****  0.089  5.382 252.19
 Qualified:             #9  5.401 260.81                        #8  5.394 255.19

Reichert led this from start to finish. He'll have lane choice over DeAngelis in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Monroe Guest                         1490 Brandon Greco                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.022  5.239 252.10                     0.119  5.467 258.07
 Qualified:             #5  5.352 272.34                       #12  5.430 260.31

Guest got off the starting line first and led this from start to finish. Guest recorded his quickest ET of the weekend. As his car crossed the finish line, it appeared that the right rear tire on his car blew and the left rear blew immediately afterward. The chutes came out and the car veered hard to the right, crossing into the right lane and sliding sideways into the front of Greco's car. Both cars hit the right side wall, the slid upright to a stop. Greco got out of his car right away, with Guest getting out of his car shortly thereafter. Guest got the win and will have lane choice over Shields in round two, should he be able to race tomorrow. Both drivers were shown on the track video out of their cars walking around the shutdown area.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink