Sat, 17 Oct 2015, 16:41 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   31 Marty Thacker                           6 Duane Shields                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.012  5.332 265.27                     0.072  5.317 272.50
 Qualified:            #14  5.357 264.23                        #3  5.274 275.17

Shields is 6 - 3 against Thacker in prior events. Thacker with a great light and the power to hold on for the hole shot win, his 11th hole shot win at National events. Marty Thacker's MOV: 0.0453 seconds (approximately 18 feet). Thacker runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 4111 Brandon Pierce                         43 Michael Manners              
E1                   0.037  5.461 251.91     ****WINNER****  0.068  5.372 257.04
 Qualified:            #12  5.348 252.05                        #5  5.282 257.83

Manners is 1 - 0 against Pierce in prior events. Pierce with the starting line advantage, but Manners has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree and takes the win. Michael Manners' MOV: 0.0587 seconds (approximately 22 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  487 Mark Taliaferro                      194D Mia Tedesco                  
E1                   0.110  5.317 272.56     ****WINNER****  0.037  5.238 279.79
 Qualified:             #7  5.291 272.23                       #10  5.319 270.43

Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 29.69 inches, adjusted altitude 2,250 feet, track temperature 105 degrees.

Taliaferro is 1 - 0 against Tedesco in prior events. Tedesco with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. She runs her quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  704 Bill Litton                           613 Joey Severance               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.089  5.366 272.67                    -0.006  7.953  97.23
 Qualified:            #13  5.350 270.92                        #4  5.282 275.17

This is the first time Litton and Severance have faced each other in eliminations. Severance is just a few ticks too quick on the tree and turned on the red light. Litton with a good clean pass for the win. He will have lane choice over Manners in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  681 Shawn Cowie                           489 Chase Copeland               
E1                   0.131  5.956 148.87     ****WINNER****  0.090  5.359 268.38
 Qualified:             #9  5.317 264.55                        #8  5.316 269.51

Cowie is 1 - 0 against Copeland in prior events. Copeland with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win as Cowie had big bang around 800 feet.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  416 James Thompson                       4028 David Sheetz                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.121  5.318 268.17                     0.096  5.378 265.06
 Qualified:            #11  5.333 267.64                        #6  5.285 273.39

This is the first time Thompson and Sheetz have faced each other in eliminations. Sheetz with the starting line advantage, but Thompson had the difference made up by the time they went by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on. Thompson with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. He will have lane choice over Thacker in the next round. James Thompson's MOV: 0.0352 seconds (approximately 14 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Chris Demke                          4238 Shayne Lawson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.061  5.225 274.94                     0.066  5.293 272.06
 Qualified:             #2  5.259 274.94                       #15  5.369 266.90

Demke and Lawson have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. Demke with the slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He runs the quickest pass of the event for the win and he will have lane choice over Tedesco in the next round. Demke keeps his title hopes alive as Severance lost in round one. From my unofficial calculations Demke now has the lead and can keep adding points, but Severance can claim points at the last two Nationals events.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  517 Gary Cooper                           464 Buddy Domingue               
E1                   0.082  7.379 133.16     ****WINNER****  0.187  5.274 274.72
 Qualified:            #16  5.370 271.46                        #1  5.248 272.67

This is the first time Cooper and Domingue have faced each other in eliminations. Cooper with the starting line advantage, but Domingue has the lead by 300 feet and never trails from there on for the win. Another great pass for Domingue for the win and lane choice over Copeland in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink