Fri, 23 Mar 2012, 16:25 PM Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division, event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, amount over/under index, and position in order following run, class and class index:

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Left Lane: Bob Marshall Runs 7.142/193.54/-0.488, Now #1 B/AA Index: 7.63
Right Lane: Lee Cooperman Runs 7.897/134.59/0.267, Now #2 B/AA Index: 7.63

12:39 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 18 percent, barometer 27.40 inches, adjusted altitude 4,310 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.

We start the weekend's qualifying with a pair of B/AA Pontiacs.

Both cars miss the green, big time, and Cooperman's car makes a move down track and he has to lift. The car stops on the track at the last turnout and has to be pushed off the track.

Marshall has a clean pass, but can't break into the magic fifty under range.

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Left Lane: Randy Goff Runs 8.503/156.79/-0.327, Now #3 B/T Index: 8.83
Right Lane: Matt Hartford Runs 7.013/195.56/-0.427, Now #2 B/DA Index: 7.44

Hartford's dragster was a little lazy at the leave and it shows in the RT. No joy for Goff either.

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Left Lane: Clint Sallee Runs 11.481/72.30/4.161, Now #6 B/D Index: 7.32
Right Lane: Brandon Huhtala Runs 7.627/159.91/-0.403, Now #3 C/A Index: 8.03

A little shake for Sallee and then a missed shift. He slows.

Huhtala gets a pass to tune to.

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Left Lane: Scott Hedlund Runs 7.902/171.84/-0.578, Now #1 A/SM Index: 8.48
Right Lane: Brian Fitzpatrick Runs 14.441/54.83/7.491, Now #8 H/D Index: 6.95

Fitzpatrick's little turbo shutters off the line and slows.

Hedlund shows some power and takes over the new top spot by almost a tenth.

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Left Lane: Scott McClay Runs 7.473/177.60/-0.487, Now #4 C/ED Index: 7.96
Right Lane: Alan Ellis Runs 6.665/203.98/-0.515, Now #2 A/AA Index: 7.18

Two good leaves and two clean passes. Both cars go into the new top four foe now.

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Left Lane: Steve Graham Runs 7.531/180.96/-0.499, Now #3 C/A Index: 8.03
Right Lane: Ross Wilson Runs 9.205/115.92/0.435, Now #10 B/SM Index: 8.77

Wilson spins the tires at the green and wiggles on down the track.

Strong pass for Graham into the current number three spot without any drama

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Left Lane: John Edwards Runs 7.499/181.96/-0.511, Now #3 C/AA Index: 8.01
Right Lane: Randy Jones Runs 8.708/152.26/-0.502, Now #4 C/TA Index: 9.21

The pace is picking up and both drives move well into the field.

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Left Lane: Bruce Perkin Runs 17.690/45.72/9.270, Now #16 E/A Index: 8.42
Right Lane: Brian Moscini Runs 7.565/179.44/-0.445, Now #8 C/AA Index: 8.01

Strong leave for Moscini, but Perkins has issues right off the line and is slow going down the track.

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Left Lane: Joe Mozeris Runs 7.222/183.39/-0.348, Now #12 B/ED Index: 7.57
Right Lane: Ray Vierheller Runs 7.510/175.32/-0.510, Now #4 D/DA Index: 8.02

Mozeris has a 1.044 sixty foot time, but can only card a -0.348 under the tough B/ED index.

Nice clean pass for Vierheller's little six cylinder into the new #4 spot.

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Left Lane: Adam Bowdish Runs 8.203/163.99/-0.537, Now #2 B/SMA Index: 8.74
Right Lane: Dean Carter Runs 7.075/186.98/-0.525, Now #3 B/ND Index: 7.60

Two strong and straight passes almost to the top of the ladder. Nice!

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Left Lane: Dale Giroux Runs 7.279/168.81/-0.351, Now #15 B/AA Index: 7.63
Right Lane: Justin Lamb Runs 8.801/153.16/-0.509, Now #7 F/SMA Index: 9.31

Neat wheels up leave for Lamb at the green and that wraps up session one.

12:58 p.m. Scott Hedlund stayed number one at -0.578 under his index and Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink