Sun, 02 Nov 2014, 12:57 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 14th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  613 Joey Severance                         12 John Finke                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.027  5.297 272.06                     0.156 27.412  22.92
 Qualified:             #2  5.285 270.75                       #15  5.495 253.66

9:28 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 65 degrees, relative humidity 37 percent, barometer 27.84 inches, adjusted altitude 3,266 feet, track temperature 77 degrees.

Finke goes up in smoke at the hit and has to give up on the run. Severance goes right down the groove with a clean pass to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   79 Johnny Ahten                          724 Casey Grisel                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  5.267 270.05                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #1  5.260 265.17                       #16  5.515 258.12

Grisel had problems getting the engine to fire and was not able to make a pass. Ahten goes right down the groove with another good pass for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  706 Ashley Sanford                       7590 Ross Stickler                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.065  5.408 264.96                     0.059  5.952 232.59
 Qualified:             #4  5.336 266.69                       #13  5.482 256.99

Stickler gets a small holeshot but Sanford passed him before they reached the sixty foot mark.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  681 Shawn Cowie                           872 Rishi Kanick                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.174  5.275 271.84                     0.094 13.046  70.61
 Qualified:             #3  5.313 268.87                       #14  5.491 245.05

Kanick goes up in smoke at the hit, stays on the throttle for about 100 feet, then gives up on the run. Cowie goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  489 Chase Copeland                         14 Jackie Fricke                
E1                  -0.063  5.375 275.11     ****WINNER****  0.051  5.402 261.72
 Qualified:             #5  5.353 279.38                       #12  5.441 260.81

Copeland leaves a little too soon and goes red. Fricke goes right down the groove and tales the win.

Fricke will have lane choice over Sanford in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  748 Cameron Ferre                         611 Garrett Bateman              
E1                   0.045  5.442 262.08     ****WINNER****  0.061  5.307 267.59
 Qualified:             #6  5.364 275.90                       #11  5.435 261.37

Bateman is a little behind off the line but makes his quickest pass of the weekend and pulls away for the win.

Cowie will have lane choice over Bateman in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6067 Don St. Arnaud                        487 Mark Taliaferro              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.045  5.349 278.12                     0.151 12.144  62.96
 Qualified:             #7  5.403 273.50                       #10  5.433 265.95

Taliaferro has a cylinder or three out at the hit, gets about 200 feet out and gives up on the run. St. Arnaud goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

Severance will have lane choice over St. Arnaud in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   17 Dan Mercier                           765 Duane Shields                
E1                   0.086  7.406 153.33     ****WINNER****  0.077  5.427 256.02
 Qualified:             #8  5.405 261.07                        #9  5.406 262.03

Mercier goes up in smoke at the hit, pedals once or twice, then gives up on the run late. Shields pulls away for the win and will take on Ahten in the next round, Ahten with lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink