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Sat, 14 Nov 2015, 14:29 PM

Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Auto Club NHRA Finals 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:

Left Lane: Fred Hanssen Runs 5.984/171.79, Now #24; Best prior run: 6.139/162.65, Was #24

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 28.87 inches, adjusted altitude 2,228 feet, track temperature 83 degrees.

Hanssen drove through tire shake right at the hit and then the car went silent around 1000 feet. He will not get in the show.

Left Lane: John Finke Runs 5.546/260.46, Now #22; Best prior run: 5.676/261.22, Was #23
Right Lane: Lee Callaway Runs 11.651/68.05, Now #25; Best prior run: 8.625/95.03, Was #25

Finke with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will not get in the show. Callaway is up in smoke by 150 feet.

Left Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 5.305/271.41, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.625/260.26, Was #23
Right Lane: Derik Milanesio Runs 5.529/260.21, Now #22; Best prior run: 5.491/260.86, Was #21

Ferre launched hard and keep it hooked up to get in the top half of the show. Cameron Ferre's incremental times: 60ft-0.938 sec., 330ft-2.428, 660ft-3.551/223.99 mph, 1,000ft-4.493. No help here for Milanesio and he will not get in the show.

Left Lane: Randy Eakins No Time, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.489/258.42, Was #21
Right Lane: Bill Litton Runs 5.282/267.85, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.454/261.07, Was #19

Eakins with problems on the burnout and drives off the top end. He will not get in the show. Litton launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight to get in the top half of the show. Bill Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.393, 660ft-3.506/224.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.455.

Left Lane: Ashley Sanford No Time, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.474/259.56, Was #20
Right Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 14.134/58.84, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.414/265.64, Was #19

Sanford with problems after the burnout and is shutoff. Grisel is up in smoke right at the hit.

Left Lane: David Sheetz Runs 5.348/269.46, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.414/270.86, Was #18
Right Lane: Tripp Tatum Runs 5.373/264.86, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.392/263.36, Was #15

Sheetz launched hard and was straight down the groove to get in the show. David Sheetz's incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.475, 660ft-3.584/225.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.527. Tatum with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number 15 spot. Tripp Tatum's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.453, 660ft-3.590/222.11 mph, 1,000ft-4.542.

Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 7.705/116.04, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.398/271.73, Was #18
Right Lane: Monty Bugeja Runs 5.314/271.62, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.339/268.44, Was #12

Shields is up in smoke right at the hit and then a body panel came flying off and went high into the air. He clicked it off and the defending event champion will not qualify for the show. Bugeja with a great pass, straight down the groove with his career quickest and fastest pass to move up the ladder one spot. Monty Bugeja's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.375, 660ft-3.509/217.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.483.

Left Lane: Ross Stickler Runs 5.360/259.91, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.395/264.75, Was #17
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 9.992/85.44, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.338/265.48, Was #12

Stickler keep it hitting on all eight and was straight down the groove to get in the show. Ross Stickler's incremental times: 60ft-0.909 sec., 330ft-2.355, 660ft-3.510/214.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.504. Ahten shook and clicked it off.

Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 5.498/269.19, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.387/269.73, Was #17
Right Lane: Mark Taliaferro Runs 9.830/89.62, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.288/274.39, Was #7

Mercier shook the tires right at the hit and pedaled it, but will not get in the show. Taliaferro lost traction early and clicked it off.

Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.598/256.36, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.354/258.91, Was #14
Right Lane: Michael Manners Runs 5.394/255.97, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.287/273.83, Was #6

Frike dropped a cylinder or two right at the hit and never got them to pick back up. Manners with a good clean pass, but will not improve. Michael Manners' incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.401, 660ft-3.544/216.20 mph, 1,000ft-4.532.

Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 10.032/79.54, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.312/270.64, Was #10
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.242/271.95, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.258/270.97, Was #4

Cowie with tire shake early and clicked it off. Severance launched hard and keep it hooked up and was straight down the groove to move up the ladder one spot. Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.332, 660ft-3.453/220.01 mph, 1,000ft-4.417.

Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.261/272.72, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.298/275.45, Was #8
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.502/259.46, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.244/269.24, Was #4

Demke launched hard and keep it hitting on eight all the way down the track and moved up to ladder to the number five spot. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.351, 660ft-3.476/219.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.439. Bateman was lose, but stayed with and will not improve.

Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.373/246.89, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.234/276.92, Was #2
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.217/284.99, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.209/284.45, Was #1

McKernan with another good looking pass, but will not improve. Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.476, 660ft-3.585/226.85 mph, 1,000ft-4.521. St. Arnaud launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight and hooked up to make another great pass. St. Arnaud with another big top end speed, this is the second fastest speed in Top Alcohol Dragster. He will hold on to the No.1 qualifying spot for the second time in his career, the other was earlier this year here at the Winternationals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink