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Sat, 16 Mar 2013, 10:16 AM

Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Michael L. Jex

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed this round, amount over/under index this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time, speed & over/under Index, and position in order prior to run:

Left Lane: Jenny Treadwell Runs 7.910/149.33/-0.560, Now #10; G/ED Index: 8.47, Prior Best: 7.785/170.00/-0.685, Was #10
Right Lane: Steve Ambrose Runs 7.806/166.70/-0.584, Now #12; J/AA Index: 8.39, Prior Best: 7.723/167.28/-0.667, Was #12

9:54 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 61 degrees, relative humidity 62 percent, barometer 29.95 inches, adjusted altitude 613 feet, track temperature 62 degrees.

Both drivers clicked it early...

Left Lane: Frank Aragona Runs 8.029/159.57/-0.631, Now #15; F/ED Index: 8.66, Prior Best: 8.013/157.50/-0.647, Was #15
Right Lane: Jeff Adkinson Runs 8.419/141.16/-0.531, Now #6; D/SMA Index: 8.95, Prior Best: 8.248/161.30/-0.702, Was #6

Left Lane: David Rampy Runs 16.507/56.62/8.667, Now #17; A/EA Index: 7.84, Prior Best: 7.199/182.48/-0.641, Was #17
Right Lane: Greg Kamplain Runs 6.954/184.77/-0.566, Now #9; B/ED Index: 7.52, Prior Best: 6.831/182.90/-0.689, Was #9

Rampy spun right off the line...

Left Lane: Ray Skillman Runs 8.719/158.13/-0.271, Now #24; E/SMA Index: 8.99, Prior Best: 8.394/161.09/-0.596, Was #23
Right Lane: Fred Allen Runs 8.355/156.63/-0.685, Now #11; C/SR Index: 9.04, Prior Best: 8.555/156.46/-0.485, Was #27

Nice lap for Allen, into the top half of the field. Fred Allen's incremental times: 60ft-1.148 sec., 330ft-3.369, 660ft-5.269/128.75 mph, 1,000ft-6.929.

Left Lane: Art Hodges Runs 7.569/173.70/-0.361, Now #30; C/A Index: 7.93, Prior Best: 7.563/170.06/-0.367, Was #30
Right Lane: Jim Greenheck Runs 7.292/185.97/-0.618, Now #20; C/AA Index: 7.91, Prior Best: 7.277/186.54/-0.633, Was #20

CA & CAA - just .02 difference in the index between these two classes of comp - Greenheck has been very consistent so far this weekend.

Left Lane: Rodney Rosenstiel Runs 6.425/208.20/-0.585, Now #1; AA/AM Index: 7.01, Prior Best: 6.196/223.65/-0.814, Was #1
Right Lane: Pat Williams Runs 6.937/203.06/-0.283, Now #31; A/AP Index: 7.22, Prior Best: 6.908/204.08/-0.312, Was #31

Rosenstiel's Altered wanted to hook right several times, he had to veer left at least three times to stay in the groove.

Left Lane: Lee Sharp Runs 8.258/161.81/-0.692, Now #5; D/SMA Index: 8.95, Prior Best: 8.224/162.65/-0.726, Was #5
Right Lane: Kevin Houghtaling Runs 8.651/143.73/-0.649, Now #15; H/A Index: 9.30, Prior Best: 8.672/138.07/-0.628, Was #22

Wheels up launch for Sharp - looked awesome in the morning sunshine here. Nice pass for Houghtaling - Kevin Houghtaling's incremental times: 60ft-1.235 sec., 330ft-3.549, 660ft-5.493/126.52 mph, 1,000ft-7.176.

Left Lane: Chris Wentzel Runs 9.798/133.08/1.958, Now #32; A/EA Index: 7.84, Prior Best: 7.571/180.33/-0.269, Was #32
Right Lane: Robert Bailey Runs 7.995/125.44/0.785, Now #23; A/ED Index: 7.21, Prior Best: 6.603/202.94/-0.607, Was #23

Both drivers hiked up the front wheels then veered over toward the right. Wentzel lifted first, followed a bit later by Bailey.

Left Lane: Arnie Martel Runs 7.582/176.17/-0.748, Now #3; B/EA Index: 8.33, Prior Best: 7.559/177.11/-0.771, Was #3
Right Lane: Steve Szupka Runs 8.102/159.57/-0.658, Now #14; G/EA Index: 8.76, Prior Best: 8.093/159.04/-0.667, Was #14

Given the current conditions, those are two stout runs!

Left Lane: Tony Terry Runs 8.215/171.77/-0.635, Now #18; G/AA Index: 8.85, Prior Best: 8.207/163.99/-0.643, Was #18
Right Lane: Grant Lewis Runs 8.837/121.28/-0.343, Now #28; F/SMA Index: 9.18, Prior Best: 8.706/154.55/-0.474, Was #28

Left Lane: Tony Pontillo Runs 9.232/96.51/1.842, Now #26; B/DA Index: 7.39, Prior Best: 6.821/193.46/-0.569, Was #26
Right Lane: Bruno Massel Runs 6.612/204.35/-0.658, Now #15; I/D Index: 7.27, Prior Best: 6.698/178.28/-0.572, Was #25

This just in - Latest Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.95 inches, adjusted altitude 982 feet, track temperature 68 degrees.

Massel improves by .07 and moves up 10 spots - Bruno Massel's incremental times: 60ft-1.024 sec., 330ft-2.772, 660ft-4.239/167.16 mph, 1,000ft-5.517.

Pontillo lifted early, the reason not clear from here.

Left Lane: Rob Carpenter Runs 8.716/154.53/-0.464, Now #27; F/SMA Index: 9.18, Prior Best: 8.667/153.18/-0.513, Was #27
Right Lane: Michael Hardee Runs 8.408/160.61/-0.582, Now #17; D/SM Index: 8.99, Prior Best: 8.342/162.10/-0.648, Was #17

Left Lane: Jim Kimbrough Runs 8.552/111.72/0.952, Now #8; C/DA Index: 7.60, Prior Best: 6.908/193.02/-0.692, Was #8
Right Lane: Glen Treadwell Runs 8.275/134.31/-0.665, Now #4; E/EA Index: 8.94, Prior Best: 8.187/142.84/-0.753, Was #4

Kimbrough slowed early...

Left Lane: Terry Smith Runs 7.424/178.90/-0.496, Now #23; D/DA Index: 7.92, Prior Best: 7.288/177.21/-0.632, Was #23
Right Lane: Kevin Robb Runs 8.119/164.41/-0.701, Now #2; D/EA Index: 8.82, Prior Best: 8.038/165.23/-0.782, Was #2

Left Lane: David Eaton Runs 7.079/141.45/-0.141, Now #29; A/AP Index: 7.22, Prior Best: 6.810/200.38/-0.410, Was #29
Right Lane: Van Puckett Runs 8.306/147.18/-0.544, Now #7; G/AA Index: 8.85, Prior Best: 8.151/164.53/-0.699, Was #7

Puckett's burnout danced left, then right, didn't get straight till past the starting line. Eaton's run was smooth as silk - he clicked it early.

Left Lane: Anthony Bertozzi Runs 7.745/163.53/-0.645, Now #12; B/SR Index: 8.39, Prior Best: 7.710/170.95/-0.680, Was #12

Bertozzi launched toward the right, got back in the groove and clicked it a little early.

Left Lane: Bo Butner Runs 8.432/163.73/-0.558, Now #21; E/SMA Index: 8.99, Prior Best: 8.354/149.45/-0.636, Was #21

10:24 a.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink