Sat, 19 Sep 2015, 11:11 AM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual NHRA Carolina 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:

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Left Lane: Don Nolan Runs 5.971/248.89, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.650/255.73, Was #17

10:40 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.29 inches, adjusted altitude 2,984 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

Nolan makes a clean pass but the engine sounded sluggish all the way through the run.

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Left Lane: Brandon Greco Runs 16.024/59.16, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.600/253.75, Was #15
Right Lane: Karen Stalba Runs 5.349/268.22, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.051/222.77, Was #18

Greco goes up in smoke at the hit and backs off the throttle quickly. Stalba makes a full pass and gets in the show in the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: Marty Thacker Runs 5.467/264.55, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.449/263.77, Was #14
Right Lane: Tom Fox Jr. No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.483/260.61, Was #15

Fox pulled off without trying to fire the dragster, not sure why. Thacker makes another clean pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Alan Bradshaw Runs 5.450/254.09, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.421/244.52, Was #11
Right Lane: Wayne Morris Runs 8.187/119.03, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.441/265.90, Was #13

Morris had problems around half track and is off the throttle early. Bradshaw goes right down the groove with a decent pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Randy Meyer Runs 10.524/99.31, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.403/269.29, Was #10
Right Lane: Lee Callaway Runs 13.188/64.59, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.425/265.38, Was #12

0-for-2 on this one, both go up in smoke at the hit, both are off the throttle before they get 200 feet out.

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Left Lane: Jake Allen Runs 17.142/45.35, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.390/263.87, Was #7
Right Lane: Mia Tedesco Runs 24.569/22.31, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.397/263.77, Was #9

This one looked like an instant replay of the last pair, both go up in smoke at the hit, both are off the throttle quickly.

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Left Lane: Tripp Tatum Runs 17.576/30.49, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.363/267.06, Was #6
Right Lane: Josh Hart Runs 5.342/261.83, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.390/263.05, Was #8

Tatum went up in smoke at the hit and had to give up on the run. Hart went right down the groove with a career best pass and moves up to the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: Brandon Booher Runs 5.378/270.54, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.325/271.95, Was #3
Right Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 5.321/264.96, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.361/266.64, Was #6

McPhillips makes his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up to the third spot. Booher makes a decent pass but doesn't improve. He gets near the end of the run and a few body parts come off.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 11.279/87.28, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.277/271.68, Was #2
Right Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 5.321/271.90, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.248/270.75, Was #1

Shields has traction problems early and clicks it off. Samsel makes a decent pass but doesn't improve.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink