Sat, 08 Feb 2014, 18:11 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations |
By David Gerard |
POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 68 Clint Thompson 703 Mark Woznichak E1 ****WINNER**** 0.049 5.580 257.58 0.087 11.692 62.99 Qualified: #8 5.622 251.02 #9 5.625 257.192:41 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer 29.07 inches, adjusted altitude 2,135 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.
Woznichak continues to struggle with traction and spins the tires hard at the green.
Nice clean pass for Thompson, quicker and faster than he qualified.
Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec.,
330ft-2.489, 660ft-3.683/207.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.708.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 5757 Terry Ruckman 8 Steve Gasparrelli E1 0.060 5.818 254.04 ****WINNER**** 0.048 5.758 252.76 Qualified: #6 5.622 259.76 #11 5.650 260.16Ruckman had better numbers down low, but the car started to drift steadily towards the wall. He likely slapped the pedal to save it, as his ET and speed suffer.
Gasparrelli gets a gift, as he gets the win slowing down from his qualifying times.
Steve Gasparrelli's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.004), 330 ft(0.066), 660ft(0.076), 1,000ft(0.075). MOV: 0.0721 seconds (approximately 27 feet).
Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.608, 660ft-3.870/197.28 mph,
1,000ft-4.930.
Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.975 sec., 330ft-2.554, 660ft-3.806/198.29 mph,
1,000ft-4.867.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 7238 Bret Williamson 799 Sean Bellemeur E1 0.296 9.183 114.17 ****WINNER**** 0.039 5.848 187.83 Qualified: #5 5.620 257.43 #12 5.686 258.42Williamson is late at the green and then has the slicks start to smoke.
Bellemeur was on a good pass until right before the lights, where there is a big BOOM from the blower. No oil, but the car stops on the track.
Sean Bellemeur's incremental times:
60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.472, 660ft-3.670/206.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.751.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 765 Bernie Harrington 2 John Lombardo Jr. E1 0.069 5.848 238.22 ****WINNER**** 0.112 5.712 259.71 Qualified: #15 5.939 237.00 #2 5.567 262.90Harrington had a big starting line advantage and then had the car start to steadily drift towards the centerline. He stays in front until right after mid-track, where a stronger Lombardo drove on by.
Lombardo made a clean pass, but not up to his qualifying standard.
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.035), 330 ft(-0.073), 660ft(-0.026), 1,000ft(0.032). MOV: 0.0931 seconds (approximately 33 feet).
Bernie Harrington's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.546,
660ft-3.823/193.60 mph, 1,000ft-4.918.
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.576, 660ft-3.806/202.61
mph, 1,000ft-4.843.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 729 Nick Januik 3 Shane Westerfield E1 ****WINNER**** 0.086 5.715 253.33 0.032 12.086 69.97 Qualified: #4 5.599 255.87 #13 5.740 255.53Westerfield is away first and then is smoking the tires after that.
Januik uses ALL of the track getting to the finish line to take his first NHRA TAFC round win. He will have lane choice over Bellemeur in round two too.
Nick Januik's incremental times:
60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.504, 660ft-3.757/197.22 mph, 1,000ft-4.823.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 597 Greg Hunter 64 Brian Hough E1 0.041 5.689 231.12 ****WINNER**** 0.050 5.674 239.74 Qualified: #7 5.622 257.24 #10 5.635 254.66Hunter gets the starting line advantage and both cars are dead even at the 330 lights. Hough has a small advantage at the 660, but Hunter starts to reel him back in. Hough just stays in front in the lights and then loses the engine. Great close race.
He will race Lombardo next round with lane choice.
Brian Hough's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.019), 330 ft(0.000), 660ft(0.019), 1,000ft(0.006). MOV: 0.0066 seconds (approximately 2 feet).
Greg Hunter's incremental times: 60ft-0.951
sec., 330ft-2.503, 660ft-3.726/202.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.769.
Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.494,
660ft-3.698/203.77 mph, 1,000ft-4.754.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 800 Ulf Leanders 802 Jonnie Lindberg E1 ****WINNER**** 0.064 5.857 258.27 0.085 5.952 257.73 Qualified: #14 5.800 257.09 #3 5.598 263.153:01 p.m. No big clean up.
Both of these guys have flows for thousands of miles to get here and end up meeting each other in round one. That's just wrong!
Close leaves and close sixty foot times. Lindberg is upset by having to pump the pedal first. Leanders is next to pedal and has the momentum to stay out in front.
He gives up lane choice to Gasparrelli next round.
Ulf
Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.661, 660ft-3.934/197.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.986.
Jonnie Lindberg's incremental
times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.731, 660ft-4.024/197.45 mph, 1,000ft-5.077.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
Bye 7 Jay Payne
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.169 6.942 130.28
Qualified: #1 5.546 262.13
By run for Payne. Payne has a strong leave before shaking the tires. He drives thought it and then has to lift, as the transmission doesn't shift Lots of RPM and it costs him lane choice to Thompson in round two.
3:06 p.m.
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