Fri, 11 Nov 2016, 18:12 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals 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: Ashley Sanford Runs 8.051/102.54, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Randy Eakins Runs 5.897/238.68, Now #11; No Prior Run

Sanford was up in smoked early and clicked it off. Eakins was dropping cylinders early and all the way down the track, but gets in the show.

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Left Lane: Jay Livingston Runs 5.523/225.79, Now #10; Best prior run: 13.966/54.01, Was #18
Right Lane: Jackie Fricke No Time, Now #19; Best prior run: 14.701/60.95, Was #19

Livingston was straight down the groove to get in the show. Jay Livingston's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.402, 660ft-3.553/213.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.591. Fricke started drifting out of the groove and then collected the half track cones.

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Left Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 5.469/260.31, Now #11; Best prior run: 11.074/75.02, Was #18
Right Lane: Krista Baldwin Runs 5.453/267.75, Now #10; Best prior run: 8.128/111.51, Was #16

This was a good side-by-side drag race...Perkins goes to the number 11 spot with his quickest fastest pass of the season. This is only his second National event of the year. Baldwin kept it hooked up to go to the number ten spot. Krista Baldwin's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.520, 660ft-3.662/220.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.622.

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Left Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 5.347/272.78, Now #7; Best prior run: 8.158/107.92, Was #18
Right Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.418/268.97, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.412/268.76, Was #9

Ferre with a real nice pass, straight down the groove to get in top half of the show. Cameron Ferre's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.452, 660ft-3.587/222.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.535. Grisel with another good pass, but will not improve. Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.988 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.635/220.55 mph, 1,000ft-4.594.

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Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.397/263.77, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.233/232.43, Was #17
Right Lane: Derik Milanesio Runs 13.247/80.21, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.382/265.85, Was #8

McKernan was straight down the groove with a nice pass to get in the show. Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-0.957 sec., 330ft-2.467, 660ft-3.600/221.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.559. Milanesio was up in smoke right off the starting line.

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 10.551/76.37, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.052/170.67, Was #17
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.344/271.30, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.324/272.45, Was #6

Cowie with severe tire shake right at the hit and clicked it off. Demke with another good looking pass, but will not improve. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.401, 660ft-3.541/216.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.516. The quickest pass of the session. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.401, 660ft-3.541/216.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.516.

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Left Lane: Fred Hanssen No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.774/261.12, Was #15
Right Lane: Monty Bugeja Runs 5.371/266.69, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.321/269.67, Was #5

Hanssen with instant tire smoke and the car mad a quick toward the wall and then the car was completely sideways. The car then went on it side and he slammed into the right wall with the front end. The car spun around and the rear of the car hit the wall. The car slid down track for a long way and came to a stop on its side. He is out of the car under his own power and was checked out and released. Bugeja with a good pass, straight down the groove with another good pass. He will not improve...Monty Bugeja's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.398, 660ft-3.540/215.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.529.

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Left Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.767/208.97, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.395/270.97, Was #9
Right Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 5.307/268.65, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.259/275.51, Was #3

Ahten was dropping cylinders right at the hit and never got it to clean up. McPhillips with another great pass, the quickest of the session. Rich McPhillips' incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.442, 660ft-3.547/225.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.488.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.328/272.01, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.264/274.55, Was #4
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.269/280.72, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.200/285.83, Was #1

This was a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up qualifying two. No help for Severance, but the third quickest pass of the session. Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.385, 660ft-3.527/217.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.501. St. Arnaud launched hard and kept it hitting on all eight with the quickest pass of the session. Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.438, 660ft-3.549/227.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.475.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink