Sat, 18 May 2013, 20:03 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Jay Payne                             799 Sean Bellemeur               
E2                   0.065  6.546 133.80     ****WINNER****  0.026  5.753 249.26
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Van Hauen ) 0.080  5.701 253.61      (S McVey     ) 0.032  5.766 250.09
 Qualified:             #2  5.620 255.53                        #8  5.707 251.86

Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 68 percent, barometer 28.57 inches, adjusted altitude 4,173 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Bellemeur is out of the gate first and never trailed as Payne banged the blower. Payne's chute then caught the finish line timing block.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 John Lombardo Jr.                      10 Shane Westerfield            
E2                   0.090  5.674 255.43     ****WINNER****  0.031  5.702 252.95
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Hool      ) 0.103  5.687 255.43      (D Gordon    ) 0.016  5.678 253.42
 Qualified:             #5  5.642 257.73                        #4  5.641 256.21

Lombardo Jr. is 2 - 1 against Westerfield in prior events. Westerfield with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Shane Westerfield's MOV: 0.0312 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tony Bartone                               Bye
E2   ****WINNER****  0.049 16.256  98.94     
 Prior rounds:
E1    (W Butler    ) 0.114  5.672 256.65   
 Qualified:             #1  5.604 257.73                     Bye

Bartone was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle, he will give up lane choice to Westerfield in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6180 Jirka Kaplan                         2606 Mark Billington              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.049  5.687 253.75                     0.039 13.205 128.07
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C McLaws    ) 0.023  5.689 253.23      (T Ruckman   ) 0.112  5.747 251.95
 Qualified:             #3  5.625 256.60                        #9  5.762 253.28

This is the first time Kaplan and Billington have faced each other in eliminations. billington is out of the gate first but is up in smoke and clicked it off. Kaplan was straight down the groove for the win and he will have lane choice over Bellemeur in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink