Fri, 07 Feb 2014, 15:27 PM Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, amount over/under index, and position in order following run, class and class index:

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Left Lane: Tony Mandella Runs 8.996/152.24/-0.584, Now #1 I/SMA Index: 9.58
Right Lane: Joshua Lee Runs 9.136/145.41/-0.474, Now #2 A/SR Index: 9.61

11:59 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 1,707 feet, track temperature 72 degrees.

Comp lost their qualifying session yesterday to the heavy rain. As there are only about 20 cars, it's an all run field.

Mandella has a strong wheels up leave and then sets a mark for the rest of the field to meet.

Good tune up pass for Lee's little four banger.

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Left Lane: Ron Weems No Time, Now #4 A/A Index: 7.11
Right Lane: Ed Sigmon Runs 8.561/133.76/-0.429, Now #3 C/SR Index: 8.99

12:08 p.m. Weems' GTO left a trail of oil from the head of staging to the water box. Lots of scrubbing and cleaning to remove the mess.

Clean and straight pass for Sigmon.

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Left Lane: Dan Fletcher Runs 8.009/168.03/-0.611, Now #1 C/EA Index: 8.62
Right Lane: Scott Hedlund Runs 10.051/95.29/1.701, Now #5 A/SM Index: 8.35

Fletcher's Cobalt moves out of the groove at the hit and he has to drag it back to the middle of the lane. It's still a great pass into the new top spot on the ladder.

Hedlund was strong until near mid track and then slowed.

Dan Fletcher's incremental times: 60ft-1.112 sec., 330ft-3.277, 660ft-5.094/134.69 mph, 1,000ft-6.670.

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Left Lane: Dean Carter Runs 7.006/188.25/-0.554, Now #4 B/ND Index: 7.56
Right Lane: Mike DePalma Runs 8.234/146.54/-0.576, Now #3 C/T Index: 8.81

Two more strong passes right on down the track.

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Left Lane: John Edwards Runs 7.319/185.87/-0.591, Now #2 C/AA Index: 7.91
Right Lane: Tyler Hogan Runs 7.002/189.31/-0.558, Now #5 C/DA Index: 7.56

...and the hits keep coming! Looks like bothe teams did more tune up over the winter.

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Left Lane: Tom Mettler Runs 7.363/184.45/-0.627, Now #1 PST Index: 7.99
Right Lane: Dale Giroux Runs 7.003/198.32/-0.567, Now #6 B/AA Index: 7.57

Big speed and ET for Mettler to jump up to the new top spot on a clean pass.

Giroux is straight and strong too.

Tom Mettler's incremental times: 60ft-1.057 sec., 330ft-3.034, 660ft-4.702/147.36 mph, 1,000ft-6.143.

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Left Lane: Doug Lambeck Runs 8.308/161.50/-0.632, Now #1 D/SMA Index: 8.94
Right Lane: Aaron Strong Runs 8.132/165.99/-0.618, Now #3 B/T Index: 8.75

Wheel up leave for Lambeck and he is now the top qualifier!

Strong drops in behind Mettler in the new #3 spot.

Doug Lambeck's incremental times: 60ft-1.178 sec., 330ft-3.382, 660ft-5.277/129.62 mph, 1,000ft-6.916.
Aaron Strong's incremental times: 60ft-1.147 sec., 330ft-3.324, 660ft-5.173/132.75 mph, 1,000ft-6.776.

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Left Lane: Ralph Van Paepeghem Runs 7.267/180.43/-0.573, Now #8 A/EA Index: 7.84
Right Lane: Mark Lelchook Runs 7.423/176.72/-0.497, Now #12 D/DA Index: 7.92

Big puff of smoke right near the lights from Van Paepeghem's Bantam. He still makes a strong pass.

Clean pass for Lelchook, but well off his usual pace.

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Left Lane: Alan Ellis Runs 6.624/204.73/-0.596, Now #5 A/AP Index: 7.22
Right Lane: Scott McClay Runs 15.055/50.22/7.225, Now #17 C/ED Index: 7.83

Our 2013 World Champion, Ellis, comes to the line. The altered makes a little move to the right off the line and slides into the new #5 position.

McClay left well and then had problems down track.

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Right Lane: Jeff Lane Runs 8.110/166.25/-0.450, Now #15 B/SMA Index: 8.56

Lane wraps up the session.

12:22 p.m. No Bump Spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink