Sun, 28 Feb 2016, 14:58 PM Top Fuel Harley Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel Harley at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 32nd annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Ron Gledhill                            2 Len Darnell                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.037  6.835 187.96                     0.044 14.384  64.77
 Qualified:             #5  6.588 195.59                        #4  6.574 211.33

12:46 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 28.82 inches, adjusted altitude 2,687 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Darnell gets the head start on a better lights and holds off Gledhill until right after the 60 foot lights. Gledhill slows from his earlier best , but still gets an easy win.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  720 Craig Pelrine                         267 Kevin Boyer                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.161  7.529 181.98                     0.060  8.787 157.14
 Qualified:             #6  6.792 205.72                        #3  6.544 196.53

Two not so good passes . Pelrine was late, but Boyer's bike gets sour after about 200 feet. Pelrine seemed to be on a good pass, and then his engine started to buck and sputter. He has the momentum to take the win.

Craig Pelrine's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.108), 330 ft(0.677), 660ft(1.088), 1,000ft(1.042). MOV: 1.1574 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  583 Julian Seeman                         911 Tii Tharpe                   
E1                   0.078  6.869 197.42     ****WINNER****  0.090  6.629 228.42
 Qualified:             #7  6.960 208.97                        #2  6.462 210.41

Seeman gets a small starting line advantage, but Tharp is on by before sixty foot. They run that way to the finish line.

Tharp will face Pelrine next round.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tommy Grimes                           63 Jay Turner                   
E1                   0.052 10.989  89.69     ****WINNER****  0.083  6.251 223.80
 Qualified:             #8  6.965 208.30                        #1  6.338 223.99

Grimes gets a big head start and then has to lift. Turner was going to be hard to beat with his best pass of the weekend by a bunch. He will have lane choice over Gledhill in the next round.

Jay Turner's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.013), 330 ft(0.525), 660ft(1.776), 1,000ft(3.264). MOV: 4.7071 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Jay Turner's incremental times: 60ft-1.088 sec., 330ft-2.781, 660ft-4.107/182.06 mph, 1,000ft-5.247.

12:54 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink