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Sat, 20 Sep 2014, 19:28 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   32 Chris Foster                          500 Dale Brand                   
E1                   0.088  6.064 185.84     ****WINNER****  0.062  5.654 259.81
 Qualified:             #9  5.672 251.02                        #8  5.668 259.61

6:00 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 90 degrees, relative humidity 43 percent, barometer 29.35 inches, adjusted altitude 3,497 feet, track temperature 124 degrees.
Foster and Brand have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.

Brand gets off the line first and extends his lead all the way through the run with his quickest pass of the weekend. Foster had problems late in the run and backed off the throttle.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Shane Westerfield                       6 Tony Bartone                 
E1                   0.046  5.730 255.48     ****WINNER****  0.056  5.632 257.04
 Qualified:            #10  5.683 254.18                        #7  5.656 256.60

Bartone is 6 - 0 against Westerfield in prior events.

Bartone was moving around early in the run but was able to get the car to settle down and make his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Westerfield made a clean pass but slowed from his qualifying time.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5757 Terry Ruckman                           8 Steve Gasparrelli            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.035  5.648 256.06                     0.060  5.697 258.32
 Qualified:            #12  5.706 252.52                        #5  5.647 257.53

Gasparrelli is 1 - 0 against Ruckman in prior events.

Ruckman gets off the line first and starts pulling away. Gasparrelli makes a charge in the middle of the run but Ruckman was able to hold him off and take the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   68 Clint Thompson                        799 Sean Bellemeur               
E1                   0.132  5.617 257.97     ****WINNER****  0.012  5.666 255.34
 Qualified:            #11  5.702 253.47                        #6  5.650 255.68

Bellemeur is 3 - 2 against Thompson in prior events.

Bellemeur gets a big holeshot, Thompson starts to make up ground but quickly runs out of room.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  562 Kris Hool                              77 Doug Gordon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.049  5.594 256.11                     0.067  5.626 257.68
 Qualified:            #13  5.727 254.47                        #4  5.645 258.27

Hool is 1 - 0 against Gordon in prior events.
Hool gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. Gordon starts to make up ground late in the run but Hool hangs on for the win with his quickest pass of the weekend.

Hool will have lane choice over Ruckman in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Jay Payne                              64 Brian Hough                  
E1                   0.185  5.716 257.04     ****WINNER****  0.070  5.648 256.26
 Qualified:            #14  5.749 255.29                        #3  5.638 254.71

Payne is 8 - 2 against Hough in prior events.
Hough gets off the line first, starts pulling away and extends his lead all the way through the run. Payne makes his quickest pass of the weekend but was falling behind at every marker.

Hough will have lane choice over Bellemeur in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  806 Steve Harker                          556 Lance Van Hauen              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.113  5.563 259.46                     0.046 No Time      
 Qualified:             #2  5.584 261.02                       #15  5.775 247.84

Harker is 1 - 0 against Van Hauen in prior events.
Van Hauen gets out of the gate first, gets out of the groove, then crosses the centerline, collecting the 330 foot timing block along the way. Luckily Harker was out in front by the time Van Hauen crossed over avoiding what could have been a nasty crash. Harker continues down the track and makes his quickest pass of the weekend.

Harker will have lane choice over Bartone in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2606 Mark Billington                         2 John Lombardo Jr.            
E1                   0.085 10.549  80.81     ****WINNER****  0.065  5.569 261.83
 Qualified:            #16  5.815 248.07                        #1  5.535 261.88

Lombardo gets the advantage off the line and starts to pull away. Billington leaves the line, gets about 300 feet out and has traction problems. He backs off the throttle and Lombardo pulls away for the win.

Lombardo will have lane choice over Brand in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink