Thu, 10 Nov 2016, 15:25 PM Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, amount over/under index, and position in order following run, class and class index:

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Left Lane: Mark Prothero Runs 9.077/143.49/-0.493, Now #1 H/EA Index: 9.57
Right Lane: Cody Lane Runs 9.395/89.60/0.415, Now #2 E/SMA Index: 8.98

11:40 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 22 percent, barometer 28.92 inches, adjusted altitude 3,149 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Lane lifts early and coasts on down.

Prothero puts up a number to tune to later.

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Left Lane: John Edwards Runs 7.422/184.12/-0.518, Now #1 C/AA Index: 7.94
Right Lane: Brad Brewer Runs 7.154/193.54/-0.506, Now #2 B/A Index: 7.66

A ton of smoke from under Edwards' Neon near half track. He finishes the run under power and then stops on the track before the turnout.

Brewer runs without issues.

11:44 a.m. Time for some dusting and cleaning in the right lane.

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Left Lane: Mike DePalma Runs 7.506/179.56/-0.564, Now #1 PST Index: 8.07
Right Lane: Scott Hedlund Runs 14.608/60.04/6.158, Now #6 A/SM Index: 8.45

11:54 a.m. Back to racing!

Two strong leaves, but Hedlund struggles right after that. DePalma moves to the current top of the ladder.

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Left Lane: Ralph Van Paepeghem Runs 7.307/181.96/-0.603, Now #1 A/EA Index: 7.91
Right Lane: Ed Sigmon Runs 8.577/135.25/-0.473, Now #6 C/SR Index: 9.05

Total age of these two veteran drivers: 146 years!

Van Paepeghem puts our first sixty under on the boards.

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Left Lane: Ross Wilson Runs 8.335/166.42/-0.515, Now #5 C/SM Index: 8.85
Right Lane: Josh Lee Runs 8.833/148.67/-0.737, Now #1 H/EA Index: 9.57

Lee's little Honda flies down the track and moves the top spot far away from the rest of the field. A strong pass of -0.737 under the H/EA index.

Wilson makes a clean pass.

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Left Lane: Tony Mandella Runs 9.093/101.67/0.053, Now #9 C/TA Index: 9.04
Right Lane: Joe Mozeris Runs 7.867/124.84/0.317, Now #10 B/ED Index: 7.55

Both cars are off their normal pace.

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Left Lane: Steve Graham Runs 7.359/186.61/-0.601, Now #4 C/A Index: 7.96
Right Lane: Doug Lambeck Runs 8.355/160.46/-0.625, Now #2 D/SMA Index: 8.98

Wheels up leave for Lambeck and the new #2 spot on a strong pass.

Graham gets there first and takes #4 for now.

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Left Lane: Jeff Lane Runs 8.112/166.93/-0.598, Now #6 C/SMA Index: 8.71
Right Lane: Jim Greenheck Runs 7.233/187.08/-0.707, Now #2 C/AA Index: 7.94

Greenheck puts his Camaro into the -0.707 range and takes over the #2 spot.

Lane drives into the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: Alan Ellis Runs 6.598/205.41/-0.632, Now #3 A/AP Index: 7.23
Right Lane: Dean Carter Runs 7.004/189.36/-0.556, Now #9 A/ND Index: 7.56

Ellis still has the power and marches into the #3 spot.

Carter makes a strong pass against the tough B/ND index.

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Left Lane: Scott McClay Runs 7.287/181.01/-0.643, Now #4 C/ED Index: 7.93
Right Lane: David Rampy Runs 7.231/168.91/-0.679, Now #3 A/EA Index: 7.91

Two strong passes and these two drive right up to the new #3 and #4 spots with ease.

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Left Lane: Dan Fletcher Runs 8.060/166.99/-0.640, Now #5 C/EA Index: 8.70
Right Lane: Brian Hyerstay Runs 9.074/128.74/-0.636, Now #6 G/D Index: 9.71

The little Giant Killer VW is not quite as far under his index as Fletcher, but cards a #6 spot.

Fletcher gets there first and takes the final #5 spot for the session.

12:09 p.m. Josh Lee is number one at -0.737 under. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink