Sat, 06 Oct 2012, 16:55 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 28th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 Dan Mercier                           185 Mike Kosky                   
E2                   0.029  9.847  84.43     ****WINNER****  0.060  5.609 251.20
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Perry     ) 0.115  5.488 256.16      (R Meyer     ) 0.081  7.960 106.01
 Qualified:             #4  5.357 260.31                       #12  5.483 257.48

4:45 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.32 inches, adjusted altitude 1,814 feet, track temperature 75 degrees.

Mercier shook the tires and clicked it off at mid track. Kosky will move on to round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Chris Demke                           112 Frank Schuster               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.067  5.268 272.06                     0.066  5.446 262.59
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Stalba    ) 0.047  5.263 269.73      (D Page      ) 0.022  5.462 261.17
 Qualified:             #2  5.310 268.28                       #10  5.460 259.91

Demke and Schuster came off the starting line at about the same time. Demke pulled ahead at 60 feet, but Schuster got out in front at 660 feet. After that, Demke got by Schuster and pulled ahead for the win and a trip to round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   15 John Finke                              2 Bill Reichert                
E2                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.098  5.254 268.97
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R McPhillips) 0.088  5.379 257.38      (M Burns     ) 0.054  5.350 267.32
 Qualified:             #9  5.450 256.65                        #1  5.281 266.95

Finke staged and then rolled through the beams, so he did not get an ET. Reichert got the win and will have lane choice over Kosky in the third round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1482 Richard Bourke                          1 Duane Shields                
E2                   0.078  5.349 263.51     ****WINNER****  0.033  5.311 264.49
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Winward   ) 0.092  5.247 270.81      (M Thacker   ) 0.113  5.369 265.90
 Qualified:             #3  5.348 264.08                        #6  5.396 266.58

This one was Shields' all the way. He was quick enough to take the win but not quick enough to get lane choice over Demke in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink