Sat, 11 Feb 2017, 19:04 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  709 James Day                               5 Chris Demke                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.020 11.671  68.02                    -0.033  5.397 269.67
 Qualified:             #9  5.422 261.47                        #8  5.355 269.56

Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 59 percent, barometer 28.82 inches, adjusted altitude 2,498 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.

This is the first time Day and Demke have faced each other in eliminations. Chris Demke won this race in 2010, 2012, 2014 & 2015 and he was runner-up in 2009 & 2013. Demke is too quick on the tree and turns on the red light and then Day is up in smoke, but still gets the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Duane Shields                         724 Casey Grisel                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.059  5.407 275.84                    -0.017 11.309  78.61
 Qualified:            #10  5.521 272.83                        #7  5.342 266.95

Duane Shields has three wins at the Winternationals. These two met last year in round one and Shields got the win, when Grisel was a no show, that was the only time these two have raced. Grisel goes red and Shields getting the easy win. Shields is right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7777 Bill Litton                             1 Joey Severance               
E1                   0.064  5.319 273.27     ****WINNER****  0.021  5.236 274.55
 Qualified:            #14  5.917 219.44                        #3  5.285 272.72

Joey Severance was runner-up here in 2008 & 2010. These two have met one in round one and Litton won that one at Dallas in 2015 and that was the only time they have raced. Severance with a great light and never trailed for the win. Severance runs low E.T. of the event for the win. Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.339, 660ft-3.460/216.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.417.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7402 Randy Eakins                          530 Alan Bradshaw                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.087  5.868 252.19                     0.072 12.007  61.08
 Qualified:            #15  5.930 226.58                        #2  5.283 277.37

This is the first time Eakins and Bradshaw have faced each other in eliminations. Bradshaw with the starting line advantage, but then dropping a bunch of cylinders and clicks it off. Eakins with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. He will give up lane choice to Shields in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  888 Fred Hanssen                           76 Johnny Ahten                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.013  5.505 264.55                     0.054  5.501 250.64
 Qualified:            #11  5.532 267.00                        #6  5.339 267.59

This is the 5th race for Fred Hanssen in the alky dragster class and the previous four have all been at this track (1 Winternationals and 3 NHRA Finals). This is the first time Hanssen and Ahten have faced each other in eliminations. Hanssen with a great light and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Fred Hanssen's MOV: 0.0372 seconds (approximately 14 feet). He will give up lane choice to Severance in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  706 Ashley Sanford                       7610 Derik Milanesio              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.060  5.624 264.91                     0.051  5.852 266.06
 Qualified:            #12  5.562 260.36                        #5  5.324 270.05

These two have met twice and both have been round one match ups and Sanford has won both of them. Milanesio with a slight starting line advantage, but Sanford has the difference made up by 330 feet and never trailed from there on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 725K Krista Baldwin                          7 Garrett Bateman              
E1                   0.107  5.364 271.52     ****WINNER****  0.066  5.288 269.46
 Qualified:            #13  5.839 255.73                        #4  5.316 273.05

This is the first time Baldwin and Bateman have faced each other in eliminations. Bateman with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win with his quickest pass of the weekend. He will have lane choice over Sanford in the next round. Baldwin with her quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6067 Don St. Arnaud                          3 Shawn Cowie                  
E1                   0.083  5.540 267.64     ****WINNER****  0.103  5.287 269.29
 Qualified:            #16 10.674  99.91                        #1  5.241 271.62

Shawn Cowie has been to the final round at this event in each of the last two years. He was runner-up in 2015 and he won it last year. Cowie qualifies No. for the fifth time in his career and the second time at this event.

Cowie and St. Arnaud have only met one time in round one and that was at the finals in 2010.

Don St. Arnaud was runner-up here in 2014 & 2016.

The last time the #16 qualifier in the alky dragster class won an opening round match at this race was in 1995.

St. Arnaud with the starting line advantage, but Cowie has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trails from there on for the win. He will have lane choice over Day in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink