Fri, 28 Oct 2011, 06:40 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Big O Tires NHRA 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: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.927/156.77, Now #15; Best prior run: 14.003/76.75, Was #17

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 15 percent, barometer 27.98 inches, adjusted altitude 3,882 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

Ahten clicks it off early, but still gets in the show for now. Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.395, 660ft-3.540/211.99 mph, 1,000ft-4.670.

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Left Lane: Eugene Tumbarello Runs 5.552/255.92, Now #16; Best prior run: 12.578/56.77, Was #17
Right Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 5.485/260.31, Now #14; No Prior Run

Perkins with a good pass to get in the show...Cody Perkins' incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.428, 660ft-3.610/209.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.624. Tumbarello moves into the show and that bumps out Ahten. Eugene Tumbarello's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.438, 660ft-3.640/205.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.674.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin No Time, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.471/263.82, Was #12
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 5.678/219.40, Now #17; Best prior run: 22.188/27.07, Was #19

Martin with problems as soon as the light turns green and coast to a stop on the track. Alexander has cylinder or two out early. He makes his quickest pass, but doesn't get in the show.

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Left Lane: John Finke Runs 5.505/254.33, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.471/264.29, Was #11
Right Lane: Ashley Bart Runs 6.151/145.41, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.479/228.69, Was #13

Bart is loose and skating around and has the chutes out early. No help here for Finke...John Finke's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.495, 660ft-3.646/217.11 mph, 1,000ft-4.634.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.486/259.91, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.434/263.87, Was #10
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.448/265.22, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.427/263.46, Was #9

Demke with another good pass, but will not improve. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.427, 660ft-3.601/212.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.600. Shields with another good pass...Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.475, 660ft-3.643/214.89 mph, 1,000ft-4.630.

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Left Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.481/259.06, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.426/256.75, Was #8
Right Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.481/251.81, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.413/255.68, Was #7

These two were side-by-side all the way down the 1320...Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.977 sec., 330ft-2.506, 660ft-3.655/217.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.630.
Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.473, 660ft-3.623/217.63 mph, 1,000ft-4.607.

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Left Lane: Mark Taliaferro Runs 5.362/273.16, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.352/272.67, Was #4
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 5.389/254.52, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.405/255.34, Was #6

Another good run by Taliaferro, but he will not improve. Mark Taliaferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.938 sec., 330ft-2.444, 660ft-3.582/220.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.539. Palmer improves, but will stay in the number six spot. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.404, 660ft-3.535/219.86 mph, 1,000ft-4.520.

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Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.320/267.75, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.342/266.37, Was #3
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.352/263.67, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.365/263.56, Was #5

Whiteley launches hard and keeps it hooked up to go the number one spot. Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.909 sec., 330ft-2.354, 660ft-3.499/214.93 mph, 1,000ft-4.482. Severance improves, but will stay in the number five spot. Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.349, 660ft-3.504/212.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.502.

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Left Lane: Michael Manners Runs 5.354/266.21, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.322/271.41, Was #3
Right Lane: Chase Copeland Runs 5.423/271.19, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.322/273.33, Was #2

Manners with another good pass. Michael Manners' incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.436, 660ft-3.562/223.02 mph, 1,000ft-4.519. Copeland will hold on to the number two spot...Chase Copeland's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.491, 660ft-3.642/219.01 mph, 1,000ft-4.601.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink