Sat, 13 Feb 2016, 14:00 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals 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: Derik Milanesio Runs 5.701/266.53, Now #15; Best prior run: 9.128/90.55, Was #16
Right Lane: Bill Litton Runs 6.723/143.75, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.447/262.23, Was #13

10:30 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 35 percent, barometer 29.01 inches, adjusted altitude 2,407 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

Don St. Arnaud is number one at 5.181 and Derik Milanesio is on the bump spot at 9.128.

Dueling throttle pumps about 100 feet out. They run on down, until Litton lifts early.

Derik Milanesio's incremental times: 60ft-0.957 sec., 330ft-2.669, 660ft-3.874/212.09 mph, 1,000ft-4.862.
Bill Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.932 sec., 330ft-2.624, 660ft-3.951/176.12 mph, 1,000ft-5.315.

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Left Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.324/276.80, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.712/251.53, Was #16
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.220/273.72, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.418/261.52, Was #12

Johnny Ahten is on the bump spot at 5.712 and can't be bumped out.

Bateman finds a ton of power and puts it to the ground to jump up ten stops on the ladder all the way to the new #2 spot.

Ahten's dragsters started to shake the tires right off the line. He does a quick pedal slap and gathers it up to move up to the new #9 spot on the ladder.

Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.459, 660ft-3.577/225.33 mph, 1,000ft-4.516.
Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.371, 660ft-3.468/228.15 mph, 1,000ft-4.406.

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Left Lane: Krista Baldwin Runs 5.263/274.89, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.495/229.55, Was #15
Right Lane: Ashley Sanford Runs 5.323/269.29, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.285/271.73, Was #8

Baldwin is showing style with a big improvement right up into the top half of the field on a strong pass.

Sanford is just sa tad slower than yesterday to get pushed down a spot to #9.

Nice pair of runs!

Krista Baldwin's incremental times: 60ft-0.930 sec., 330ft-2.407, 660ft-3.513/226.20 mph, 1,000ft-4.454.
Ashley Sanford's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.429, 660ft-3.542/224.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.489.

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Left Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 5.425/271.46, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.414/257.58, Was #14
Right Lane: Alan Bradshaw Runs 11.412/82.73, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.268/274.44, Was #8

Derik Milanesio is on the bump spot at 5.701.

Bradshaw strikes the tires hard at the green and is done early.

A clean and straight pass for Ferre. He loses a little ET and picks up a ton of speed.

Cameron Ferre's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.650/219.12 mph, 1,000ft-4.607.

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Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.260/272.39, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.255/272.39, Was #5

Grisel is a no show and Severance will get a single.

He plays bracket racer with another mid five twenty pass and matches his Q1 speed.

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.345, 660ft-3.469/219.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.436.

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Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 13.994/53.50, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.374/266.95, Was #12
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 11.266/71.47, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.236/271.13, Was #4

Dueling smokers. McKernan strikes the tires right at the green and Shields doesn't make it to the 100 foot mark.

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.300/271.19, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.349/270.70, Was #11
Right Lane: Gord Gingles Runs 5.214/277.15, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.234/276.35, Was #3

Cowie gets to the finish line under power this time and is able to move up a spot to #10.

Gingles continues to improve and is the ninth car in the twenties and takes over the new #2 spot on a strong pass.

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.366, 660ft-3.500/217.49 mph, 1,000ft-4.471.
Gord Gingles' incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.372, 660ft-3.474/227.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.408.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.369/271.41, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.263/275.11, Was #6
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.222/283.25, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.181/285.05, Was #1

Demke may have done a quick pedal off the line, as the dragster does a zig-zag before straightening out and flying.

St. Arnaud's dragster uses a lot of lane too and still runs in the low twenties.

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.930 sec., 330ft-2.425, 660ft-3.569/217.63 mph, 1,000ft-4.542.
Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.931 sec., 330ft-2.396, 660ft-3.503/227.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.431.

10:56 a.m. Derik Milanesio is on the bump spot at 5.701.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink