Sat, 15 Nov 2014, 18:14 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  562 Kris Hool                               6 Tony Bartone                 
E1                   0.043  5.611 261.37     ****WINNER****  0.034  5.579 262.08
 Qualified:             #8  5.568 261.57                        #9  5.570 262.23

Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,641 feet, track temperature 86 degrees.

Bartone is 5 - 1 against Hool in prior events. Bartone with the starting line advantage and makes another great pass to take the win. Tony Bartone's MOV: 0.0416 seconds (approximately 16 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 John Lombardo Jr.                       7 Jay Payne                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  6.400 161.50                    -0.007  5.591 262.44
 Qualified:             #7  5.565 265.27                       #10  5.583 263.00

Payne is 2 - 1 against Lombardo Jr. in prior events. Payne is just a few ticks too quick on the tree and turns on the red light. Lombardo Jr. with shake and the win as he clicks it off early.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  747 Mike Doushgounian                       8 Steve Gasparrelli            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.056  5.565 260.46                     0.029  7.684 123.86
 Qualified:             #6  5.563 261.72                       #11  5.584 262.18

This is the first time Doushgounian and Gasparrelli have faced each other in eliminations. Gasparrelli with the starting line advantage, but is out of the groove early and over by the wall before he clicks it off. Doushgounian with a real nice pass as he is just a couple ticks off his qualifying time for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Shane Westerfield                      77 Doug Gordon                  
E1                   0.025  5.615 259.06     ****WINNER****  0.046  5.581 258.27
 Qualified:            #12  5.588 260.81                        #5  5.562 259.31

Westerfield is 3 - 2 against Gordon in prior events. Westerfield with a great light and the lead early, but Gordon has the lead by 330 feet and extends it from there on... Doug Gordon's MOV: 0.0132 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  806 Steve Harker                           64 Brian Hough                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.057  5.718 256.80                     0.069 No Time      
 Qualified:             #4  5.536 263.26                       #13  5.605 257.24

Harker and Hough have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. Harker with the starting line advantage and is straight down the groove with good pass for the win. Harker will give up lane choice to Gordon in the next round.

Hough is loose from the start and over by the wall and then back across the lane and across the centerline...DQing his run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  597 Greg Hunter                             9 Todd Veney                   
E1                   0.066  9.387 104.44     ****WINNER****  0.068  7.384 208.65
 Qualified:            #14  5.618 256.60                        #3  5.532 262.85

This is the first time Hunter and Veney have faced each other in eliminations. They leave together with Hunter getting the slight advantage and then they both lose traction and the pedaling starts. Hunter is of and on the throttle a couple times and then gets over close to the centerline before he clicks it off. Veney is on and off the throttle a couple times, but finally gets it to hook enough to get the win. He will give up lane choice to Doushgounian in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  802 Jonnie Lindberg                       765 Bernie Harrington            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.016  5.576 260.46                     0.076 12.153  55.97
 Qualified:             #2  5.531 263.05                       #15  5.644 251.95

This is the first time Lindberg and Harrington have faced each other in eliminations. Lindberg with a great light and his straight down the groove for the win. Harrington is up in smoke early and clicks it off. Lindberg will have lane choice over Lombardo Jr. in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5757 Terry Ruckman                         800 Ulf Leanders                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.055  5.695 258.91                     0.064 No Time      
 Qualified:            #16  5.654 258.62                        #1  5.504 265.59

This is the first time Ruckman and Leanders have faced each other in eliminations. Ruckman with the starting line advantage and is straight down the groove for the win. He will give up lane choice to Bartone in the next round. Leanders made a quick move toward the centerline right at the hit and collected the the 330-foot cone.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink