Sun, 06 Oct 2013, 12:59 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  323 Brandon Booher                        176 Jeff Veale                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.009  5.307 269.19                     0.031  5.437 271.41
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Shields   ) 0.059  5.338 271.35      (W Morris    ) 0.046  5.388 274.11
 Qualified:             #1  5.307 269.56                        #9  5.435 273.11

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 65 percent, barometer 29.45 inches, adjusted altitude 2,697 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Booher is 1 - 0 against Veale in prior events. Booher with a great light and never trailed for the win. He matched his qualifying E.T. in the win. Veale with a good looking pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1900 Dan Page                               34 Marty Thacker                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.029  5.372 268.65                     0.037  5.426 262.33
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Stalba    ) 0.039  5.421 267.80      (J Finke     ) 0.011  5.439 263.05
 Qualified:             #4  5.385 264.03                       #12  5.509 227.61

This is the first time Page and Thacker have faced each other in eliminations. Page with the starting line advantage, but Thacker has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and has the lead until just past half track. Page chases him down and takes the win by 0.0622 seconds (approximately 24 feet). Page will give up lane choice to Booher in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Bill Reichert                           4 Rich McPhillips              
E2                   0.056  5.549 246.03     ****WINNER****  0.029  5.485 263.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (F Schuster  ) 0.079  5.502 256.45      (K Perry     ) 0.026  5.494 259.11
 Qualified:             #2  5.318 265.53                        #7  5.428 258.12

Reichert is 7 - 4 against McPhillips in prior events. McPhillips with good light and never trailed for the win by 0.0910 seconds (approximately 33 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1482 Richard Bourke                         36 Robin Samsel                 
E2                   0.037  5.550 251.77     ****WINNER****  0.136  5.449 254.66
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Fricke    ) 0.014  5.481 262.18      (D Foley     ) 0.095  5.470 257.43
 Qualified:            #11  5.499 263.62                        #3  5.378 263.41

This is the first time Bourke and Samsel have faced each other in eliminations. bourke with a big starting line advantage and the lead until right in the lights where Samsel chases him down to take the win by 0.0026 seconds (approximately 12 inches). Samsel will have lane choice over McPhillips in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink