Sun, 20 May 2012, 13:40 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

NORWALK, Ohio - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, North Central Division, B'laster Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  147 Fred Tigges                            36 Fred Hagen                   
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.090 10.326 101.64
 Qualified:             #9  5.792 253.42                        #1  5.537 258.47

1:27 p.m. Tigges was in as an alternate, Andy Bohl unable to answer the staging call today. His car, however, let him down, the clutch dragging his car right through the staging beams. Then Hagen launched into severe tire shake, the car all over the lane, but staying on his side of the centerline and coasting to victory.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  377 Paul Noakes                             9 Chris Foster                 
E1                   0.003  5.833 248.39     ****WINNER****  0.041  5.665 254.62
 Qualified:             #7  5.732 254.09                        #2  5.627 256.99

Noakes had a great light, but could not hold off Foster's determined charge after a good light. Foster had the lead before the 330-foot marker, then pulled away to win by a couple car lengths.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  326 Brian Harvanek                         39 Cassie Simonton              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.112  5.752 248.39                     0.099 11.202  92.70
 Qualified:             #6  5.728 249.90                        #3  5.657 257.58

Harvanek's crew is sporting their "lucky" white cowboy hats today and they appeared to work - Sim0onton smoked the tires on the launch, while Harvanek made a clean, straight run for the win. He won't have lane choice against Foster in the semifinals, but you can bet the crew will have their lucky white hats on again.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   15 John Anderika                          37 Ray Drew                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  5.713 252.43                     0.089  5.735 255.24
 Qualified:             #5  5.670 254.57                        #4  5.665 259.81

Drew got down the track on his first qualifying run, didn't make the other two.

There wasn't much to choose from in the two reaction times and it was a close race all the way, but Anderika was ahead at every timing increment, including the important one.

John Anderika's incremental margins: 60ft(0.026), 330 ft(0.048), 660ft(0.042), 1,000ft(0.029). MOV: 0.0197 seconds (approximately 7 feet). He will lane choice against Hagen in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink