Sun, 14 Feb 2016, 16:37 PM Top Fuel Harley Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel Harley at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals:

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
        Bye                                   2 Len Darnell                  
E1                                            ****WINNER****  0.061 12.885  84.84
 Qualified:                                                       #1  6.371 212.73

12:55 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 28.93 inches, adjusted altitude 2,937 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Darnell got the #1 qualifier bye and that was a break for him because he smoked the tire almost immediately.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  720 Craig Pelrine                         267 Kevin Boyer                  
E1                   0.087  7.212 163.51     ****WINNER****  0.091  7.207 192.93
 Qualified:             #2  6.672 189.47                        #7  7.906 172.01

Close race, both with a good launch, Boyer was ahead until half track. Then both engines went a little sour and Pelrine went to the front. They both struggled to get to the stripe, Pelrine coming up short in the final 320 feet by inches.

Kevin Boyer's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.042), 330 ft(0.162), 660ft(-0.040), 1,000ft(-0.126). MOV: 0.0014 seconds (approximately 4 inches).

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Ron Gledhill                          927 Tony Ruggiero                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.208  6.580 188.44                     0.106  7.334 160.06
 Qualified:             #3  6.806 185.23                        #6  7.672 198.79

Gledhill made the best run of the round so far, but Ruggerio dominated the first 400 feet, thenhis engine went sour and Gledhill went by for the win.

Ron Gledhill's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.087), 330 ft(0.025), 660ft(0.207), 1,000ft(0.422). MOV: 0.6525 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Gledhill will have lane choice against Boyer in the semifinals.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  583 Julian Seeman                         222 Mike Pelrine                 
E1                   0.063  6.940 205.98     ****WINNER****  0.111  6.529 225.48
 Qualified:             #5  6.957 205.19                        #4  6.866 176.53

Finally we had a two-bike race with pretty good runs. Pelrine led all the way, despite Seeman's holeshot. Seeman's bike nosed over after the launch, then he got it hooked back up and gave chase.

Mike Pelrine's incremental margins: 60ft(0.074), 330 ft(0.165), 660ft(0.205), 1,000ft(0.273). MOV: 0.3633 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Pelrine will have lane choice against Darnell in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink