Sun, 03 Mar 2013, 15:18 PM Top Fuel Harley Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel Harley at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, South Central Division, Showdown at Sundown at Royal Purple Raceway:

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   63 Jay Turner                            111 Mike Scott                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.056  8.025 138.31                     0.034 18.898  61.21
 Qualified:             #4  6.549 225.22                        #5  6.559 206.99

2:07 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 30.11 inches, adjusted altitude 618 feet, track temperature 85 degrees.

Scott broke on the launch and limped down the track, leaving some parts on the track near the tree. Turner had a good launch, but smoked the tire about 300 feet out and the engine went sour (nitro engines don't run well when nit under a load) and he nursed it to the stripe.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tommy Grimes                         1120 Brook McCabe                 
E1                   0.072  7.226 161.96     ****WINNER****  0.081  6.487 218.27
 Qualified:             #3  6.541 247.29                        #6  6.799 211.20

Grimes' bike kept going to the right and he leaned as far as he could, to no avail. He had to back off the throttle and that let McCabe pull away for the upset win.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Doug Horne                             78 Alvin Kobernausz             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.048  6.330 228.54                     0.158  7.351 204.08
 Qualified:             #1  6.402 233.40                        #8  7.720 138.57

Horne's bike runs like it's on rails, smooth and straight. Horne runs low ET of the weekend and will have lane choice against Turner in the semifinals.

Doug Horne's incremental times: 60ft-1.162 sec., 330ft-2.890, 660ft-4.240/188.23 mph, 1,000ft-5.351.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   66 Steve Dorn                            411 Rickey House                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  6.531 219.15                     0.103 11.251  84.29
 Qualified:             #2  6.461 217.74                        #7  7.022 203.68

House's bike shook and slowed shortly after leaving the line. Dorn made a good, full pass, but it wasn't quick enough to get lane choice against McCabe in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink