Mon, 07 Sep 2015, 13:14 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 61st annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  464 Buddy Domingue                        596 Randy Meyer                  
E2                  -0.135  5.339 270.54     ****WINNER****  0.036  5.719 246.53
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Tedesco   ) 0.091  5.368 274.11      (B Litton    ) 0.063  5.416 270.05
 Qualified:             #8  5.310 275.84                        #1  5.183 271.90

1:01 p.m. Domingue is 2 - 1 against Meyer in prior events. This is the 2nd consecutive year that Randy Meyer has been the top qualifier at Indy. The last time the #1 qualifier in TAD won this race was 2004 when Ashley Force did it.

Domingue went red and wasted a very good run, especially since Meyer was off-pace almost from the start.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  176 Jeff Veale                             34 Brandon Booher               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.043  5.393 271.19                     0.061  5.384 270.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Tatum     ) 0.019  5.438 267.96      (R McPhillips) 0.060  5.363 271.08
 Qualified:            #11  5.366 276.13                       #14  5.397 265.80

Booher is 2 - 0 against Veale in prior events.

On a holeshot, Veale gets one back in a tight race.

Jeff Veale's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.022), 330 ft(-0.057), 660ft(-0.044), 1,000ft(-0.009). MOV: 0.0094 seconds (approximately 4 feet).

Jeff Veale's incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.498, 660ft-3.636/222.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.580.
Brandon Booher's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.423, 660ft-3.574/215.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.553.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  613 Joey Severance                         31 Marty Thacker                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.016  5.324 271.46                     0.015  5.416 266.90
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Dreher    ) 0.027  5.333 271.30      (D Shields   ) 0.050  5.402 266.11
 Qualified:            #10  5.357 271.35                       #15  5.397 265.01

Marty Thacker has been here every year since 2002 and he has two wins, in 2007 & 2010. Thacker is just the fourth Top Alcohol Dragster driver in 34 years to win a round when starting from the 15th spot at Indy. The last time it happened was in 1997 when Bill Ancona beat Jeremy Torstveit. Thacker is 1 - 0 against Severance in prior events.

Severance evened the score, the two leaving almost together. Severance was quicker to 60 feet and led the rest of the way for the win.

Joey Severance's incremental margins: 60ft(0.042), 330 ft(0.049), 660ft(0.065), 1,000ft(0.078). MOV: 0.0916 seconds (approximately 36 feet).

Severance will have lane choice against Veale in the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  748 Cameron Ferre                           1 Chris Demke                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.043  5.342 272.83                     0.037  5.461 268.60
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Hart      ) 0.073  5.353 274.83      (S Cowie     ) 0.045  5.318 272.39
 Qualified:             #5  5.274 274.00                        #4  5.263 272.23

Ferre is 1 - 0 against Demke in prior events. Chris Demke has been to the finals here in each of the last two years. He was runner-up in 2013 and won it last year. In this history of this race no driver in the Top Alcohol Dragster class has ever won in back-to-back years.

Demke left first, led past 330 feet, then watched Ferre pull away for the win - despite some erratic header flames from Ferre's car on the top end.

Cameron Ferre's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.008), 330 ft(-0.001), 660ft(0.044), 1,000ft(0.088). MOV: 0.1134 seconds (approximately 45 feet).

Cameron Ferre's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.453, 660ft-3.580/222.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.529.
Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.458, 660ft-3.630/213.50 mph, 1,000ft-4.623.

Ferre will have lane choice against Meyer in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink