Fri, 19 Apr 2013, 14:10 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual NHRA Four-Wide 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: Matthew Cummings Runs 5.524/254.52, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.452/197.31, Was #17
Right Lane: Richard Bourke Runs 5.646/256.06, Now #15; No Prior Run

1:44 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 65 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 2,938 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

Bourke makes his first attempt and makes a clean pass. He gets in the field in the 15th spot for now. Cummings is able to stay under power all the way through the run this time and gets in the show in the 11th spot.

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Left Lane: Karen Stalba Runs 5.618/251.25, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.579/252.85, Was #13
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.571/258.86, Now #13; Best prior run: 12.789/102.18, Was #19

Shields is able to make a full pass this run and gets in the show in the 13th spot for now. Stalba makes a clean pass but slows from her earlier run.

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Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 5.492/256.50, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.552/262.59, Was #12
Right Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.897/241.93, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.981/244.38, Was #19

Mercier improves a little and moves up a spot to 11th. Fricke improves but not enough to get in the field.

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Left Lane: Marty Thacker Runs 5.419/263.56, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.477/260.21, Was #8
Right Lane: John Finke Runs 5.514/243.90, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.703/249.86, Was #17

Finke pulls the wheels off the line, sets them down, then goes on through with a decent pass to get in the show in the 12th spot. Thacker improves and moves up to the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.416/265.53, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.443/265.90, Was #7
Right Lane: Frank Schuster Runs 5.567/255.43, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.603/253.33, Was #16

Reichert improves and moves up to the fourth spot. Schuster improves a little and gets off the bump for now.

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Left Lane: Dan Page Runs 5.495/264.49, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.435/266.69, Was #7
Right Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 5.440/259.91, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.489/258.67, Was #10

Page makes a clean pass but doesn't improve. Samsel makes his quickest run of the weekend and moves up a couple of spots.

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Left Lane: Rishi Kanick Runs 5.891/247.34, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.422/253.23, Was #6
Right Lane: Ken Perry Runs 5.425/265.53, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.487/261.83, Was #10

Kanick stumbles a little early in the run and slows from his earlier attempt. perry improves and moves up to the seventh spot.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.338/269.89, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.348/267.85, Was #2
Right Lane: Randy Meyer Runs 5.381/269.46, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.457/258.02, Was #10

A couple of impressive runs, both right down the groove with their quickest passes of the day. Meyer moves up to the fourth spot, Demke stays in the second spot.

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Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.293/270.97, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.290/271.35, Was #1
Right Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 5.444/256.65, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.379/260.86, Was #3

Whiteley makes the quickest pass of the round so far but doesn't improve. McPhillips makes a clean pass but slows from his earlier attempt.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink