Sun, 06 Aug 2017, 17:20 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By David Gerard

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Jay Payne                            676M Chris Marshall               
E3   ****WINNER****  0.103  5.557 262.85                     0.018  6.168 155.17
 Prior rounds:
E2    (T Ruckman   ) 0.033  5.525 266.90                     0.187  5.544 263.20
E1    (N Januik    ) 0.088  5.548 266.85      (R Parker    ) 0.119  5.598 262.28
 Qualified:             #6  5.531 266.37                        #2  5.491 265.80

2:11 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 53 percent, barometer 29.59 inches, adjusted altitude 2,510 feet, track temperature 121 degrees.

Marshall nails the tree with an eighteen light and then has the blower go bang after the 660 lights.

Payne gets in a strong pass, but is lucky to win.

Jay Payne's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.116), 330 ft(-0.131), 660ft(-0.113), 1,000ft(0.105). MOV: 0.5262 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.513, 660ft-3.702/208.26 mph, 1,000ft-4.708.
Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.467, 660ft-3.674/198.41 mph, 1,000ft-4.898.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Steve Gasparrelli                      65 Brian Hough                  
E3   ****WINNER****  0.086  5.572 262.33                     0.084  5.642 263.31
 Prior rounds:
E2    (S Westerfiel) 0.084  5.584 262.49      (D Gordon    ) 0.111  5.463 267.75
E1    (A Whiteley  ) 0.069  6.107 248.71      (C Beverett  ) 0.070  5.554 268.38
 Qualified:            #10  5.641 247.84                        #7  5.539 268.38

Hough is 6 - 2 against Gasparrelli in prior events.

Just 0.002 separate them at the green and Gasparrelli starts a steady march ahead of Hough going down the track. Hough starts to pull back up after half track, but just can't catch him.

Gasparrelli will have lane choice in the final round.

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental margins: 60ft(0.001), 330 ft(0.059), 660ft(0.073), 1,000ft(0.071). MOV: 0.0683 seconds (approximately 26 feet).

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.695/207.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.714.
Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.561, 660ft-3.770/206.10 mph, 1,000ft-4.787.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink