Sat, 20 Sep 2014, 15:10 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Brandon Pierce Runs 5.371/267.32, Now #8; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Lee Callaway Runs 5.417/264.86, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.588/108.51, Was #18

1:38 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.41 inches, adjusted altitude 3,402 feet, track temperature 132 degrees.

Peirce is making his first ttempt of the weekend. He gets about 1000 feet out and puts out a cylinder but still makes a decent pass. Callaway makes a his quickest pass of the weekend and gets in the show in the 12th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Buddy Domingue No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.610/266.95, Was #18
Right Lane: Karl Brounkowski Runs 7.120/211.76, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.374/227.69, Was #19

Brounkowski's engine sounded sluggish all the way through the run and he doesn't improve. Domingue left before the tree was activated and received no time. He left the line and had cylinders out on both sides of the engine. He drifts to the left, tries to correct, then almost crosses the centerline before finally backing off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Aaron Tatum Runs 5.483/260.56, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.484/264.70, Was #17
Right Lane: Marty Thacker No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.426/262.54, Was #14

Thacker does his burnout, has problems and has to climb out of his dragster and get over the wall. Tatum makes a clean pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Chase Copeland Runs 5.400/267.27, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.453/260.56, Was #16
Right Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.323/269.46, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.392/266.53, Was #11

Reichert makes his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up to the fifth spot. Copeland improves and gets off the bump and into the 12th spot for now.

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Left Lane: David Brounkowski Runs 5.373/255.73, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.431/260.97, Was #16
Right Lane: John Finke Runs 5.358/262.95, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.391/262.69, Was #11

Brounkowski put a cylinder out late in the run but still improved and moved up to the 11th spot for now. Finke went right down the groove and made his quickest pass of the weekend.

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Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.410/271.35, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.418/270.32, Was #15
Right Lane: Todd Odom Runs 5.389/275.39, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.386/273.39, Was #12

McKernan goes right down the groove with her quickest pass of the weekend and moves up a notch to 14th. Odom makes a clean pass but does not improve.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke No Time, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.367/266.58, Was #9
Right Lane: Michael Manners Runs 14.186/75.01, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.338/268.12, Was #6

Fricke has problems after the burnout and clicks it off. Manners goes up in smoke at the hit and has to back off the throttle quickly.

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Left Lane: James Thompson Runs 5.342/265.74, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.352/268.92, Was #7
Right Lane: Shayne Lawson Runs 5.317/271.73, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.307/270.32, Was #3

Two good passes here, both right down the groove. Thompson improves but not enough to move up in the order. Lawson slows a little from his earlier attempt and stays in the third spot.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.303/271.95, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.314/269.62, Was #4
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 8.931/93.69, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.299/271.19, Was #2

Demke rattles the tires at the hit, stays on the throttle for about 100 feet, then backs off the throttle. Severance goes right down the groove with the quickest pass of the round so far and moves up to the third spot.

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Right Lane: Ashley Sanford Runs 17.329/45.44, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.298/267.11, Was #1

Sanford goes up in smoke at the hit and has to give up on the run.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink