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Sat, 01 Nov 2014, 15:27 PM

Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 14th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals 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:

Left Lane: Ross Stickler Runs 5.611/251.95, Now #11; Best prior run: 18.335/20.79, Was #21
Right Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.534/260.76, Now #8; No Prior Run

11:51 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 27.70 inches, adjusted altitude 3,883 feet, track temperature 74 degrees.
McKernan had problems yesterday and was not able to make a pass. Stickler had traction issues and was off the throttle early.

McKernan goes right down the groove with a decent pass and gets in the eighth spot for now. Stickler is able to keeps the slicks stuck this time and gets in the show for now.

Left Lane: Mark Taliaferro Runs 5.433/265.95, Now #5; Best prior run: 17.050/47.73, Was #22
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.394/267.59, Now #3; Best prior run: 9.419/86.28, Was #19

Cowie had problems yesterday and was off the throttle early. He makes a full pass here and moves into the third spot for now. Taliaferro makes a full pull and gets in the fifth spot for now.

Left Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 5.364/275.90, Now #3; Best prior run: 14.697/74.73, Was #22
Right Lane: Aaron Olivarez Runs 6.053/201.16, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.034/187.70, Was #20

Ferre had traction problems yesterday and did not make a full pass. Olivarez had a cylinder or two out on his pass.

Ferre goes right down the groove with a career best pass and moves into the third spot for now. Olivarez still has problems and does not improve.

Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.441/260.81, Now #8; Best prior run: 12.995/77.05, Was #22
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.440/254.04, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.728/248.48, Was #18

Fricke goes right down the groove with a good pass and gets in the show for now. Shields improves and gets in the show in the seventh spot.

Left Lane: John Finke Runs 5.739/240.21, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.893/220.40, Was #21
Right Lane: Jeff Ashwell Runs 6.061/180.02, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.709/247.29, Was #19

Finke had a hole out on the left side early in the run and he doesn't get in the field this round. Ashwell slowed from his run yesterday and stayed in the 19th spot.

Left Lane: Greg Sereda Runs 5.651/248.16, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.728/241.80, Was #20
Right Lane: Eugene Tumbarello Runs 5.730/247.70, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.704/249.67, Was #18

Sereda made a clean pass yesterday but wasn't quick enough to make the field. Tumbarello was a little quicker but isn't in the field.

Tumbarello drifted to the right, then back to the left, and he doesn't improve. Sereda goes right down the groove and improves but not enough to get in the show.

Left Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.515/258.12, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.665/259.61, Was #18
Right Lane: Derik Milanesio Runs 5.933/209.14, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.566/245.23, Was #14

Grisel improves and moves into the show in the 12th spot for now. Milanesio has problems late in the run and is off the throttle early.

Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 5.413/263.56, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.573/262.49, Was #16
Right Lane: Chase Copeland Runs 5.353/279.38, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.501/269.24, Was #10

Mercier makes a clean pass and gets off the bump and into the seventh spot. Copeland goes right down the groove with the quickest pass of the round so far to get in the third spot for now.

Left Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.461/266.90, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.520/264.39, Was #14
Right Lane: Rishi Kanick Runs 10.306/79.27, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.491/245.05, Was #11

Kanick makes a move to the right, then back to the left, then backs off the throttle. Bateman makes a clean pass and moves up to the 11th spot.

Left Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.589/262.54, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.515/260.31, Was #13
Right Lane: Ashley Sanford Runs 15.947/54.45, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.336/266.69, Was #2

Sanford goes up in smoke at the hit and is off the throttle early. St. Arnaud makes a clean pass but doesn't improve.

Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.383/271.57, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.413/267.32, Was #6
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.260/265.17, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.306/269.03, Was #1

Ahten makes an impressive pass, the quickest of the weekend. Severance drifted to the right all the way through the run but improved and moved up a spot to fifth.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink