Sun, 25 Mar 2012, 15:47 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division, event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tony Bartone                          799 Sean Bellemeur               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  5.564 262.44                     0.016  5.758 253.04
 Qualified:             #1  5.592 259.21                        #8  5.768 251.53

12:14 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 16 percent, barometer 27.25 inches, adjusted altitude 4,321 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Bellemeur gives his best efforts with a much better Rt and his best run of the weekend. Its all Bartone after 60 feet, as he makes his quickest and fastest run of the weekend in a decisive win.

Tony Bartone's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.015), 330 ft(0.027), 660ft(0.073), 1,000ft(0.112). MOV: 0.1442 seconds (approximately 54 feet).

Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.505, 660ft-3.695/208.84 mph, 1,000ft-4.707.
Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-1.005 sec., 330ft-2.582, 660ft-3.818/200.32 mph, 1,000ft-4.869.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Steve Gasparrelli                    7976 Keeter Ray                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.063  5.672 256.02                     0.102 14.910  65.57
 Qualified:             #4  5.695 254.04                        #5  5.721 250.55

Gasparrelli is away first and pulls quickly away and joins the best run of the weekend group for the easy win. He gives up lane choice to Barton in the next round.

Ray is up in smoke again at the green and coasts on down.

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.540, 660ft-3.758/203.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.794.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  584 Annie Whiteley                       6515 Brian Hough                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.048  5.681 254.57                     0.072  5.707 252.57
 Qualified:             #3  5.689 253.61                        #6  5.746 252.57

Hough gives it a good try, but the car drives out of the groove going down the track and he has to horse it back to the middle and it may have cost him some ET.

Whiteley improves on her qualifying times and has a much better RT to boot for the almost twenty foot win.

Annie Whiteley's incremental margins: 60ft(0.012), 330 ft(0.017), 660ft(0.032), 1,000ft(0.043). MOV: 0.0507 seconds (approximately 19 feet).

Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.986 sec., 330ft-2.543, 660ft-3.759/203.34 mph, 1,000ft-4.798.
Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.536, 660ft-3.767/201.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.817.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jay Payne                              73 Doug Gordon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.083  5.630 258.17                     0.089  5.875 247.66
 Qualified:             #2  5.633 256.99                        #7  5.751 251.25

Payne is number two in the 2012 All Star standings, but can't catch non-qualifier Lombardo, even if he wins today.

They leave almost together and then Gordon has the car start to move around near the 330 lights.

Payne is driving quickly away and improves on his qualifying times too for the win and lane choice over Whiteley in the next round.

Jay Payne's incremental margins: 60ft(0.024), 330 ft(0.098), 660ft(0.168), 1,000ft(0.214). MOV: 0.2518 seconds (approximately 91 feet).

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.520, 660ft-3.729/205.51 mph, 1,000ft-4.759.
Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.986 sec., 330ft-2.612, 660ft-3.891/196.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.967.

12:26 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink