Sun, 02 Nov 2014, 18:00 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car 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
  800 Ulf Leanders                            7 Jay Payne                    
E3   ****WINNER****  0.055  5.570 261.02                     0.028  5.635 262.54
 Prior rounds:
E2    (M Doushgouni) 0.076  5.580 262.18      (D Gordon    ) 0.093  5.701 258.67
E1    (S Bellemeur ) 0.104  5.634 260.61      (T Ruckman   ) 0.134  5.573 263.98
 Qualified:             #2  5.551 263.67                        #6  5.620 259.26

Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 27.77 inches, adjusted altitude 3,884 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

This is the first time Leanders and Payne have faced each other in eliminations. Payne is out of the gate first, but Leanders has the difference made up by the Christmas tree and then was real loose. He stayed with it to take the win by 0.0382 seconds (approximately 15 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  806 Steve Harker                            3 Shane Westerfield            
E3   ****WINNER****  0.065  5.568 262.69                     0.031 16.432  45.97
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Lindberg  ) 0.069  5.556 263.00      (S Gasparrell) 0.027  5.693 257.43
E1    (K Hool      ) 0.110  5.567 264.39      (J Lombardo J) 0.092  5.809 257.73
 Qualified:             #5  5.597 262.28                       #16  5.740 253.66

This is the first time Harker and Westerfield have faced each other in eliminations. Westerfield with the starting line advantage and had tire shake and clicked it off. Harker launched hard and was straight down the groove for the win. He will have lane choice over Leanders in the final by 0.002 seconds.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink