Fri, 23 Mar 2012, 19:27 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Time Trial Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 time trials in Top Alcohol Funny Car 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, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 8.149/112.71, Now #1
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 8.807/102.19, Now #2

3:12 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 88 degrees, relative humidity 10 percent, barometer 27.37 inches, adjusted altitude 4,877 feet, track temperature 120 degrees.

The wind is picking up, but its a tail wind right now..

They leave together, dance around together, lift together, and coast up the hill together. They will get another try later today.

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Left Lane: Mike Drake Runs 8.721/104.00, Now #3
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.719/254.71, Now #1

Gordon leave well with a 0.974 sixty foot time and he gets a pass to tune with.

Drake waits on the starting line for over half a second and then drives towards the centerline and shuts off.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.551, 660ft-3.788/201.34 mph, 1,000ft-4.835.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 7.207/131.95, Now #2
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 8.348/110.24, Now #4

They leave just 0.003 apart, but Whiteley is the first to give it up right before the 330 lights. Hough gets a little further and he clicks it early too.

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Left Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 5.994/249.49, Now #2
Right Lane: Ross Stickler Runs 6.263/183.94, Now #3

Rupert gets away first and has his hands full, as the Monte Carlo moves around his lane a bunch. He stays with it, but it costs some ET.

Stickler is quicker to the sixty foot, 330 and 660, but is already losing speed. He clicks it early.

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Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.827/207.78, Now #2
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 13.975/79.79, Now #10

Two heavy hitters to the line.

Payne's Mustang is up in smoke hard right at the hit.

Lombardo's Monte Carlo is a little lazy off the line, but gets to the finish line OK. Something to tune to for later today.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.545, 660ft-3.761/204.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.809.

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Left Lane: Steve Griboski No Time, Now #11

Griboski does his burnout and keeps on going. The chutes come out and he stops on the track.

3:27 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink