Fri, 01 Nov 2013, 19:02 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division, Las Vegas Gambler Showdown Division 7 Finale listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Eugene Tumbarello No Time, Now #1

3:26 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 28.00 inches, adjusted altitude 3,607 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Tumbarello fired the engine and pulled into the water to do his burnout, but the chutes popped out just as he pulled out of the water and they got him stopped before he started the burnout.

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Left Lane: Jeff Ashwell Runs 6.150/165.66, Now #2
Right Lane: Michael Manners Runs 5.804/241.58, Now #1

There are a bunch of alcohol cars here for the last Regional race of the year. With two fields of wight cars each for TAD and TAFC, a lot of good cars will go home early.

Ashwell's engine went silent with a puff of raw fuel aeound the 1,000-foot marker. Manners made a full pass, but that ET may not be enough in what promises to be a very tough field.

Michael Manners' incremental times: 60ft-0.982 sec., 330ft-2.579, 660ft-3.822/199.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.886.

LEFT LANE; 54568; 464TAD; Buddy Domingue; 5.527; 252.90; Now #1 RIGHT LANE; 54569; 704TAD; William Litton; 5.882; 220.94; Now #3 START NOTES: Two full passes, no visible problems. Domingue's time may make the field, Litton's probably won't.

Buddy Domingue's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.495, 660ft-3.659/214.89 mph, 1,000ft-4.653.
William Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.981 sec., 330ft-2.562, 660ft-3.806/197.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.903.

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Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.531/266.42, Now #2
Right Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 14.786/24.79, Now #6

McKernan made a good run, strong on the top end, but she had a lot of tire spin on the launch and that hurt her ET. Hunter launched and slowed immediately, the problem not evident from here.

Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-1.012 sec., 330ft-2.567, 660ft-3.723/217.18 mph, 1,000ft-4.695.

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Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 5.436/256.21, Now #1
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 17.459/28.29, Now #8

Ahten's car launched and then slow-rolled down the track. Mercier got a solid launch and a clean, straight run to take over the #1 spot for now.

Dan Mercier's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.455, 660ft-3.594/218.19 mph, 1,000ft-4.573.

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.413/265.17, Now #1
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.463/264.39, Now #3

That's more like it, two nice runs side-by-side. Cowie is now #1 and Jeff Ashwell is on the bump spot at 6.150.

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.412, 660ft-3.570/211.93 mph, 1,000ft-4.567.
Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.509, 660ft-3.659/217.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.625.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields No Time, Now #13
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 12.750/80.21, Now #9

Shields made the burnout and shut it off. Bateman launched, smoked the tires and shut it off.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.386/267.32, Now #2
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.327/268.44, Now #1

Two more nice, side-by-side runs with no visible problems, and two new names are atop the ladder.

Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.413, 660ft-3.562/214.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.547.
Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.363, 660ft-3.511/215.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.492.

Now Michael Manners is on the bump spot at 5.804.

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Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.311/269.51, Now #1
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 6.982/145.74, Now #12

Whiteley did as expected, went right to the top of the ladder on a pretty run. Demke, who usually gives Whiteley a run for his money, had problems right from the start and he coasted through the top half.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.938 sec., 330ft-2.368, 660ft-3.504/217.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.479.

Whiteley has already clinched the national title, has a chance to add the regional title as well.

Seventeen TAD cars tried to squeeze into eight spots on the ladder. Megan McKernan is on the bump spot at 5.531.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink