Sat, 03 Nov 2012, 20:14 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

LAS VEGAS - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division, Short Line Express Gambler Shootout at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 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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Right Lane: John Finke Runs 5.537/250.04, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.653/251.25, Was #15

4:42 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 27.92 inches, adjusted altitude 3,909 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

Sidnei Frigo is on the bump spot at 5.429.

Finke doesn't make the show, as the engine starts to drop cylinders down track. The fueler was a little lazy off the line to boot.

John Finke's incremental times: 60ft-1.013 sec., 330ft-2.536, 660ft-3.680/220.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.659.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.662/240.64, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.591/242.15, Was #15
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 12.233/99.01, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.525/250.97, Was #13

Shields is up in smoke at the green and lifts.

Fricke makes a full pass, but slows from his best.

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Left Lane: William Litton Runs 5.582/243.33, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.465/251.53, Was #10
Right Lane: Aaron Olivarez Runs 17.532/77.45, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.519/258.52, Was #12

Olivarez strikes the tires and slows.

Litton slows a lot from earlier.

William Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.522, 660ft-3.688/213.81 mph, 1,000ft-4.687.

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Left Lane: Chase Copeland Runs 5.455/259.96, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.448/266.74, Was #9
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.478/264.18, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.483/262.23, Was #11

Copeland's team is working hard to keep the engine running before the burnout. They finally keep the candles lit and do their burnout.

Two clean and strong passes, but they can't make the field. Severance improves a little and Copeland slows down a little.

Chase Copeland's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.484, 660ft-3.635/218.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.604.
Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.442, 660ft-3.624/210.57 mph, 1,000ft-4.627.

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Left Lane: Sidnei Frigo Runs 5.377/265.12, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.429/263.98, Was #8
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.586/263.31, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.421/265.80, Was #7

Frigo figures it out and keeps the pipes dry all the way to the lights. That moves him off the bump and up five spots to the current #3 position.

St. Arnaud's fueler was lazy off the line and slows from his prior best. That moves him to the new bump spot.

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Left Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 5.438/266.11, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.407/266.74, Was #6
Right Lane: Ray Martin No Time, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.410/263.26, Was #7

Luckily, Martin is already in the field, as the blower belt comes off the engine in the burnout.

Hunter made a strong pass, but doesn't improve his times from earlier.

Greg Hunter's incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.434, 660ft-3.595/212.49 mph, 1,000ft-4.592.

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Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.425/258.22, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.402/252.24, Was #5

McKernan pulls out of the lane, as she can't be bumped and is currently in the top half of the field.

Ahten makes another good pass, but slows just a little from his best.

Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.438, 660ft-3.583/217.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.567.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.314/269.24, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.331/268.28, Was #2
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.296/271.62, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.287/270.86, Was #1

WOW! This would have made a great race for the final round tomorrow.

Whiteley gets a nice starting line advantage and holds off an improving Demke to stay number one.

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.360, 660ft-3.502/216.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.481.
Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.366, 660ft-3.502/218.05 mph, 1,000ft-4.471.

5:10 p.m. Don St. Arnaud is on the bump spot at 5.421.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink