Fri, 18 Aug 2017, 19:23 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

BRAINERD, Minn. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 36th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals 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: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.395/274.50, Now #4; Best prior run: 16.347/46.61, Was #12
Right Lane: Marina Anderson Runs 5.549/229.74, Now #9; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 71 percent, barometer 28.54 inches, adjusted altitude 3,271 feet.

Fricke after smoking the tires right at the hit in round one, launched hard here and was straight down the groove to go to the number four spot. Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.996 sec., 330ft-2.534, 660ft-3.645/226.81 mph, 1,000ft-4.583.

Anderson with a real nice pass in only her second pass in NHRA competition. Marina Anderson's incremental times: 60ft-0.948 sec., 330ft-2.456, 660ft-3.626/213.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.631.

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Left Lane: Mike Edstrom Runs 5.522/260.36, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.802/247.61, Was #13
Right Lane: Dean Dubbin Runs 5.421/261.78, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.618/237.96, Was #11

A little background on Mike Edstrom...his father was blind (from diabetes) tuned the car (kind of like Jay Blake does) and Mike drove it. Mike crashed at Gainesville in 1987. Mike did qualify in the Funny Car class at the 1990 Brainerd race and lost to Mark Oswald in round one. Just a nice slice of life story that he is driving again.

Edstrom makes a good clean pass...Mike Edstrom's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.515, 660ft-3.671/215.93 mph, 1,000ft-4.664.

Dubbin is straight down the groove to go to the number seven spot. Dean Dubbin's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.561/211.03 mph, 1,000ft-4.566.

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Left Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 5.312/274.55, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.633/252.90, Was #13
Right Lane: James Stevens Runs 5.401/265.64, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.429/264.60, Was #8

Samsel launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the top of the list. Robin Samsel's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.470, 660ft-3.567/228.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.502.

Stevens with a good looking pass to move up the ladder a couple spots. James Stevens' incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.410, 660ft-3.568/213.77 mph, 1,000ft-4.558.

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Left Lane: Gord Gingles Runs 5.477/269.08, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.610/223.32, Was #13
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.352/270.48, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.415/256.41, Was #8

Gingles was straight down the groove to move up the ladder three spots, and then the chuts didn't deploy for a long time. Finally it came out and gets the car stopped with no problems. Gord Gingles' incremental times: 60ft-0.989 sec., 330ft-2.540, 660ft-3.682/223.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.647.

Shields launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number three spot. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.467, 660ft-3.582/224.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.531.

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Left Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 10.654/115.67, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.385/269.67, Was #5
Right Lane: Megan Meyer Runs 5.317/275.11, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.407/271.19, Was #8

Ashley was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

Meyer launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Megan Meyer's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.575/227.11 mph, 1,000ft-4.509.

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Left Lane: Alan Bradshaw Runs 5.312/269.19, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.352/269.67, Was #5

Bradshaw with another great pass, straight to the number two spot. Alan Bradshaw's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.397, 660ft-3.531/218.80 mph, 1,000ft-4.489.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink