Sat, 24 Mar 2012, 16:59 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster 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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Right Lane: Eugene Tumbarello Runs 5.549/243.11, Now #1

1:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 27.39 inches, adjusted altitude 4,574 feet, track temperature 117 degrees.

Tumbarello was on a strong pass until right near the lights, where there is a flash and bang from the engine. That's still good enough to improve his career best ET.

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Left Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.548/245.94, Now #2
Right Lane: Mike Austin Runs 5.484/261.07, Now #1

Austin is driving last year's Y-Not dragster with what is reported to be an experimental B&J Racing Transmission converter behind the Whiteley engine.Strong 0.934 leave for the juice box and a respectable ET to boot.

Bateman is right behind him going down the track on a clean pass in the fueler.

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Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.303/270.81, Now #1
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.687/252.66, Now #5

Whiteley's car runs well at sea level and at altitude too. It marches off the line with a strong 0.928 sixty foot time and moves into the top spot by almost two tenths.

St. Arnaud's car is lazy off the line to get the current #5 spot, but that won't last long.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.374, 660ft-3.506/218.19 mph, 1,000ft-4.475.
Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-1.008 sec., 330ft-2.623, 660ft-3.823/211.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.818.

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Left Lane: Cody Perkins No Time, Now #8
Right Lane: James Butler Runs 5.577/255.63, Now #5

The weirdness continues, as Perkins engine won't start at all and the car is pushed away.

Butler was on a straight and strong pass until right in the lights, where there is a bunch of "Stuff" flying off the back of the car. He has the chutes out and gets the car stopped safely down track. It's reported to be a rear slick that came apart.

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Left Lane: Larry Miersch Runs 5.766/243.50, Now #8
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.628/261.88, Now #6

1:44 p.m. All the dusting and cleaning is done and the call goes out to start the engines.

Severance cards a 0.007 RT and then just marches ahead of Miersch right on down the track and into the current #6 spot.

Miersch's fueler grumbles on down the track to set the initial bump spot for the dragsters.

Larry Miersch's incremental times: 60ft-0.998 sec., 330ft-2.610, 660ft-3.838/203.80 mph, 1,000ft-4.873.
Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.537, 660ft-3.751/205.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.769.

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Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.548/243.19, Now #5
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.365/265.33, Now #2

KcKennan is looking to secure the Division seven TAD spot in the 2012 Jeg's All Stars this weekend. Perkins and Demke are right behind her, with only one point separating them right now.

Demke does his best to improve his chances with a strong pass until right at the lights, where there is a big puff of smoke from the engine. He still slides into the current #2 spot.

McKernan's fueler is a little slow on the bottom end and she matches Bateman's ET, but loses the top half of the field position by MPH.

Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.530, 660ft-3.695/215.31 mph, 1,000ft-4.676.
Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.930 sec., 330ft-2.395, 660ft-3.546/215.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.527.

1:53 p.m. Jim Whiteley stays number one at 5.303 and Joey Severance is on the bump spot at 5.628.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink