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Fri, 30 Oct 2015, 18:55 PM

Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 15th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

Right Lane: Al Moeser Runs 5.748/251.25, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 22 percent, barometer 27.80 inches, adjusted altitude 4,257 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Moeser is driving Mercier's car her this weekend. It appears that it dropped cylinders, but he keep it hooked up. Al Moeser's incremental times: 60ft-1.010 sec., 330ft-2.607, 660ft-3.827/205.10 mph, 1,000ft-4.860.

Left Lane: David Sheetz Runs 5.978/245.72, Now #3
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.371/277.09, Now #1

Sheetz slowed on the top end...St. Arnaud launched hard and keep it hooked up to make a good looking pass. Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.625/224.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.565.

Left Lane: Alan Bradshaw Runs 5.499/248.34, Now #3
Right Lane: Ross Stickler Runs 5.484/254.09, Now #2

This was good side-by-side drag race...Alan Bradshaw's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.471, 660ft-3.622/216.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.615.
Ross Stickler's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.421, 660ft-3.596/209.20 mph, 1,000ft-4.608.

Left Lane: Derik Milanesio Runs 5.522/250.09, Now #4
Right Lane: Randy Eakins Runs 5.706/238.30, Now #5

Milanesio was straight down the groove and into the number four spot. Derik Milanesio's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.457, 660ft-3.626/213.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.638. Eakins with a good pass. Randy Eakins' incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.534, 660ft-3.739/205.79 mph, 1,000ft-4.782.

Left Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.468/260.97, Now #2
Right Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.576/245.54, Now #6

Grisel launched and keep it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.646/217.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.620. Fricke started mixing up cylinders on the top end and slowed. Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.482, 660ft-3.667/209.92 mph, 1,000ft-4.683.

Left Lane: John Finke Runs 5.524/245.63, Now #6
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.546/253.52, Now #7

Finke dropped a cylinder or two right at the hit, but stayed with it. Ahten had a few wet holes all the way down the track. John Finke's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.486, 660ft-3.637/215.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.632.
Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.523, 660ft-3.691/214.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.684.

Left Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 5.479/258.57, Now #3
Right Lane: Tripp Tatum Runs 5.672/212.16, Now #10

Ferre with a good looking pass to go to the number three spot. Cameron Ferre's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.470, 660ft-3.642/214.31 mph, 1,000ft-4.624. Tatum clicked it off early...Tripp Tatum's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.503, 660ft-3.661/213.30 mph, 1,000ft-4.679.

Left Lane: Bill Litton Runs 5.371/268.44, Now #2
Right Lane: Ashley Sanford Runs 5.505/263.20, Now #7

Litton launched hard and was straight down the groove with a real nice pass. He ties St.Arnaud's E.T., but will give up the position based on his slower speed. Bill Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.459, 660ft-3.588/221.52 mph, 1,000ft-4.543. Sanford with a good looking pass to get into the top half of the show. Ashley Sanford's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.514, 660ft-3.678/215.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.656.

Left Lane: Chase Copeland Runs 5.649/252.19, Now #13
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.477/265.90, Now #4

Copeland was dropped a cylinder or two early in the run, but gets in the show. Chase Copeland's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.568, 660ft-3.757/210.44 mph, 1,000ft-4.769. Bateman with a good clean pass to go to the number four spot. Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.662/216.03 mph, 1,000ft-4.639.

Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.616/257.87, Now #14
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.443/265.64, Now #3

McKeran dropped some cylinders right at the hit, but stayed with it. Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-1.003 sec., 330ft-2.581, 660ft-3.759/212.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.755. Cowie launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number three spot. Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.981 sec., 330ft-2.458, 660ft-3.614/214.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.600.

Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.495/265.64, Now #8

Shields chatters the tires early, but he drove through it to get into the top half of the show. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.990 sec., 330ft-2.538, 660ft-3.690/218.37 mph, 1,000ft-4.660.

Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 17.753/49.43, Now #22
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.352/269.40, Now #1

Severance was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off. Demke launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight and hooked up to go to the number one spot. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.394, 660ft-3.538/216.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.519.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink