Sat, 14 Nov 2015, 17:45 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations |
By David Gerard |
POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Auto Club NHRA Finals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 800 Ulf Leanders 3 Jay Payne E1 ****WINNER**** 0.114 5.573 261.27 0.146 5.544 267.11 Qualified: #9 5.527 263.77 #8 5.513 266.212:09 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 2,843 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.
Leanders is 2 - 1 against Payne in prior events. Jay Payne has won this race five times, three times in Top Alcohol Funny Car and twice in the alky dragster class. He has a 71% first round win average. Leanders won the only other 1st round match up.
Leanders gets a small starting line advantage and parlays it into a hole shot win.
Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.498, 660ft-3.693/207.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.713.
Jay Payne's
incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.498, 660ft-3.689/207.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.697.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 5757 Terry Ruckman 4 Doug Gordon E1 ****WINNER**** 0.044 5.617 260.26 0.082 7.030 146.73 Qualified: #10 5.569 255.00 #7 5.510 265.74Gordon is still in the running for the Championship.This is the first time Ruckman and Gordon have faced each other in eliminations.
Gordon's chances are quickly over with massive tire shake right off the line.
Ruckman improves his ET to take the easy win.
Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.519, 660ft-3.727/206.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.751.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 799 Sean Bellemeur 7 Brian Hough E1 ****WINNER**** 0.034 5.617 258.96 0.107 5.547 264.75 Qualified: #11 5.589 259.46 #6 5.491 265.33Hough is 4 - 1 against Bellemeur in prior events. Bellemeur had a starter fail and Gordon's crew ran to their rescue to get him back into the race.
Bellemeur shows his maturity and nails the tree to take the upset hole shot win over the quicker Hough.
Sean
Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.519, 660ft-3.722/206.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.747.
Brian Hough's incremental
times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.501, 660ft-3.689/209.26 mph, 1,000ft-4.696.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
9 Clint Thompson 10 Kris Hool
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.104 5.525 261.88 0.066 9.956 113.01
Qualified: #5 5.491 266.00 #12 5.593 260.61
This is the first time Thompson and Hool have faced each other in eliminations. Hool strikes the tires hard at the green and almost powers across the center line.
Strong, clean pass for Thompson and the easy win.
Clint Thompson's incremental times:
60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.484, 660ft-3.668/209.75 mph, 1,000ft-4.672.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 77 Steve Gasparrelli 55 Annie Whiteley E1 0.156 7.249 124.48 ****WINNER**** 0.064 6.075 243.90 Qualified: #13 5.603 259.06 #4 5.463 266.48Big Championship implications here, as Whiteley is only one point behind in the chase. Whiteley is 1 - 0 against Gasparrelli in prior events.
Wild race! Whiteley has a bunch of shake off the line and pumped the pedal. Gasparrelli was looking like an easy winner until after the 660 lights. The car starts a strong move towards the wall and he has to lift. Whiteley sneaks back on my for the win.
She will race Thompson next round and gives up lane choice.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 676M Chris Marshall 802 Jonnie Lindberg E1 0.053 6.058 176.95 ****WINNER**** 0.091 5.478 267.64 Qualified: #14 5.618 254.28 #3 5.461 268.81This is the first time Marshall and Lindberg have faced each other in eliminations.
Lindberg stays in the chase with another strong pass and easy win.
Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.491, 660ft-3.713/199.91 mph,
1,000ft-4.871.
Jonnie Lindberg's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.471, 660ft-3.643/211.89 mph, 1,000ft-4.636.
He
keeps lane choice over Bellemeur in the next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
5 Shane Westerfield 11 Mickey Ferro
E1 0.033 5.643 259.71 ****WINNER**** 0.061 5.443 271.62
Qualified: #15 5.626 261.93 #2 5.457 271.19
Ferro is 1 - 0 against Westerfield in prior events. Westerfield gets a starting line advantage and then has to watch, as Ferro drives on by of the decisive win.
Ferro will race Ruckman next round with lane choice.
Shane Westerfield's incremental
times: 60ft-0.948 sec., 330ft-2.544, 660ft-3.760/204.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.782.
Mickey Ferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec.,
330ft-2.454, 660ft-3.623/212.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.612.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 729 Nick Januik 6 John Lombardo Jr. E1 0.092 5.767 222.33 ****WINNER**** 0.094 5.467 271.73 Qualified: #16 5.640 235.80 #1 5.429 274.39John Lombardo won here in 2012, and his father won this race in 1983 when he beat John Force in the final round. This is their first time to meet in round one.
Just 0.002 difference at the green and then Januik matches Lombardo's sixty foot time. Lombardo starts a steady move ahead until Januik's engine expires on the top end. He will have lane choice over Leaders in round two. His Championship hopes are still alive,
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.002), 330 ft(0.005), 660ft(0.072), 1,000ft(0.165). MOV: 0.2988 seconds (approximately 97 feet).
Nick Januik's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec.,
330ft-2.509, 660ft-3.736/199.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.807.
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.502,
660ft-3.662/214.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.640.
2:29 p.m.
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