Fri, 05 Oct 2012, 16:35 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 28th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Marty Thacker Runs 5.477/259.66, Now #8; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Karen Stalba Runs 5.579/249.81, Now #11; No Prior Run

3:53 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 49 percent, barometer 29.43 inches, adjusted altitude 2,709 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Thacker did not complete his run in the first session, Stalba was not quick enough to make the field. This time, both were quick enough to put themselves in the field and beyond the reach of the three non-qualified drivers who are waiting for their final attempt.

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Left Lane: Ken Perry Runs 5.533/253.56, Now #11; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tom Fox Jr. Runs 5.899/250.13, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.186/217.14, Was #17

Perry did not make a run in the first session. He took his car down the groove to get himself into the number 11 spot in the order. Fox was not in the field and was not quick enough to make it in.

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Left Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 5.401/256.36, Now #7; Best prior run: 11.387/63.42, Was #20
Right Lane: Ken Winward Runs 5.574/255.53, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.632/253.75, Was #16

McPhillips had a good run in the second session to make it into the top half of the order. Winward moved up three spots in the order. Jeff Veale is on the bump spot at 5.598.

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Left Lane: Richard Bourke Runs 5.348/264.08, Now #3; Best prior run: 7.728/117.53, Was #20

Bourke had a good run to move up 17 spots in the order and into number three for now.

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Left Lane: Jared Dreher Runs 5.715/242.19, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.678/241.54, Was #19
Right Lane: John Finke Runs 5.450/256.65, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.513/266.74, Was #12

Dreher was slower than in the first session and will not make the field for eliminations. Finke moved up three spots with a clean run.

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Left Lane: Bruce Horner Runs 6.497/153.51, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.631/247.43, Was #18
Right Lane: Dan Page Runs 9.009/92.47, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.398/263.87, Was #7

Page got out to about 200 feet when his car went into a wheelstand. He backed off the throttle and brought the front end down. This is the 28th time an NHRA national event has taken place here at Maple Grove Raceway and Horner has been here all 28 times. He won't be back for eliminations tomorrow but he did leave some oil on the track after this run.

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Left Lane: Jeff Veale Runs 5.706/252.14, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.598/263.00, Was #17
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.495/265.80, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.396/266.58, Was #6

Veale needed to beat the bump time of 5.580 seconds to make the field but was not able to do so. Shields was not as quick as he was this afternoon, so he'll stay where he was in the order.

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Right Lane: Randy Meyer Runs 5.363/262.33, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.366/252.14, Was #5

Meyer was quicker in the second section by 0.003 seconds, so he did not move in the qualifying order.

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Left Lane: Frank Schuster Runs 5.505/243.41, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.460/259.91, Was #10
Right Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 9.887/80.79, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.357/260.31, Was #4

Mercier's car slowed at 33o feet and he coasted the rest of the way. Schuster was not as quick as the first session.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.459/266.69, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.310/268.28, Was #2
Right Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.355/264.80, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.281/266.95, Was #1

Both drivers were slower than in the first session, but both will stay at the top of the order.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink