Sun, 25 May 2003, 01:49 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 15th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   52 Cy Chesterman                           6 Tate Branch
E2   ****WINNER****  0.027  5.672 254.86                     0.049  9.048  83.78
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Morrison  ) 0.056  5.639 255.15      (S Griboski  ) 0.097  5.714 252.14
 Qualified:             #4  5.689 253.66                        #5  5.701 251.25

Current weather conditions: 66 degrees, 63 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.07 inches under sunny skies.

Chesterman was out of the gate first and never looked back while Branch launched into a lot of tire shake and headed toward the centerline before he clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Marc White                            545 Thomas Frickenschmidt
E2   ****WINNER****  0.089  5.685 254.81                     0.156  5.812 246.21
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Richardson) 0.091  5.630 254.14      (J Rupert    ) 0.096  5.868 245.54
 Qualified:             #2  5.663 252.28                       #10  5.862 246.48

White with the starting line advantage and then rattled the tires, but was able to pedal it and lead from start to finish. Frickenschmidt with a good pass just not enough for White.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Steve Gasparrelli                     470 Ben Harper
E2   ****WINNER****  0.071  5.711 254.33                     0.094  5.735 250.04
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Carlson   ) 0.046  6.218 228.73      (D Brand     ) 0.063  6.011 241.89
 Qualified:             #3  5.683 254.38                       #11  5.922 240.42

Gasparrelli was out of the gate first and never looked back, but Harper gave him everything he wanted running a great drag race.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   53 Vern Moats                              3 Jay Payne
E2   ****WINNER****  0.103  5.729 252.90                     0.123  9.445  92.51
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Williams  ) 0.121  5.611 253.66      (J Stidham   ) 0.055  5.619 257.83
 Qualified:             #8  5.779 248.07                        #1  5.635 256.26

Moats with a starting line advantage and the win when Payne had a lot of tire shake and then the engine went silent.

Moats will give up lane choice to Chesterman and White will have lane choice over Gasparrelli in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink