Sat, 25 Feb 2012, 15:56 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division, event at Firebird International Raceway listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.538/262.28, Now #2
Right Lane: James Butler Runs 5.410/264.39, Now #1

1:06 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 18 percent, barometer 28.32 inches, adjusted altitude 2,960 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

A little shake for Butler and just after that a lot for St. Arnaud. Both drive through the shake to get a number up on the score board.

Butler runs a career best ET and MPH into the top spot for now.

We will have a bump spot before the end of the session, but these number will keep them in the eight car field.

Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.556, 660ft-3.716/217.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.690.
James Butler's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.403, 660ft-3.562/212.53 mph, 1,000ft-4.558.

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Left Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 5.378/263.87, Now #1
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.490/237.38, Now #3

Two clean passes and Perkins drifts towards the center line going down the track, but he gently pulls it back into the groove.

Ahten slows a little on the top end, after running a better speed at half track.

Cody Perkins' incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.374, 660ft-3.530/213.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.526.
Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.455, 660ft-3.611/215.55 mph, 1,000ft-4.597.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 10.921/99.19, Now #6
Right Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.406/247.16, Now #2

First four are all quicker than five fifty and these two are likely to move at or near the top of the ladder.

McKerrnan makes a great pass to tune from and takes the new number two spot.

Severance does another burnout at the green and quickly clicks it off.

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-1.137 sec., 330ft-3.914, 660ft-6.552/095.90 mph, 1,000ft-8.797.
Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.450, 660ft-3.580/221.05 mph, 1,000ft-4.544.

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Left Lane: Larry Miersch Runs 5.617/252.85, Now #7
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.330/270.70, Now #1

Miersch has a Terry Manton memorial on his air scoop this weekend. The fueler has holes out on the right bank at the green. He gets to the finish line under power to stay in the field in number seven.

Demke shows why there is a big number five on the scoop, as he power on down the track and into the new and final top spot of the session. Nice clean pass!

Larry Miersch's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.522, 660ft-3.728/207.78 mph, 1,000ft-4.743.
Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.375, 660ft-3.519/216.10 mph, 1,000ft-4.496.

1:21 p.m. Joey Severance is on the bump spot at 10.921.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink