Fri, 10 Nov 2017, 15:22 PM Pro Stock Motorcycle Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, rider name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Luke Crowley Runs 7.294/188.94, Now #2
Right Lane: Katie Sullivan Runs 7.020/189.82, Now #1

11:45 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 62 percent, barometer 28.88 inches, adjusted altitude 2,244 feet, track temperature 85 degrees.

Two clean passes to start the session.

Sullivan runs a season's best speed to set a mark for the field.

Luke Crowley's incremental times: 60ft-1.162 sec., 330ft-3.076, 660ft-4.701/151.44 mph, 1,000ft-6.104.
Katie Sullivan's incremental times: 60ft-1.077 sec., 330ft-2.910, 660ft-4.474/156.46 mph, 1,000ft-5.843.

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Left Lane: Ryan Oehler Runs 8.168/113.09, Now #4
Right Lane: Freddie Camarena Runs 7.089/192.93, Now #2

Oehler is away first and has his Buell start a steady putt towards the center line. He runs tight up to the paint after the 660 and finally gets it back to the groove.

Good tuning pass for Camarena.

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Left Lane: Charles Sullivan No Time, Now #6
Right Lane: Lance Bonham Runs 7.665/185.43, Now #4

Sullivan can't make the pass and Bonham makes a single.

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Left Lane: Chip Ellis Runs 6.839/196.39, Now #1
Right Lane: Steve Johnson Runs 7.001/191.95, Now #2

Ellis is running the Junior Pippin Tribute bike for Hines and Vance this weekend. It is the protype 2108 HD for the factory team. Looks like it has potential with the best run of the session, so far.

Johnson gets a clean pass to slide into the #2 spot.

Chip Ellis' incremental times: 60ft-1.054 sec., 330ft-2.844, 660ft-4.370/160.59 mph, 1,000ft-5.700.
Steve Johnson's incremental times: 60ft-1.102 sec., 330ft-2.931, 660ft-4.481/157.76 mph, 1,000ft-5.837.

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Left Lane: Joey Gladstone Runs 6.905/193.68, Now #2
Right Lane: Angie Smith Runs 6.927/193.60, Now #3

Two clean passes and both bikes run into the six nineties.

Joey Gladstone's incremental times: 60ft-1.059 sec., 330ft-2.865, 660ft-4.403/159.23 mph, 1,000ft-5.749.
Angie Smith's incremental times: 60ft-1.079 sec., 330ft-2.879, 660ft-4.414/158.22 mph, 1,000ft-5.768.

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Left Lane: Karen Stoffer Runs 6.932/191.89, Now #4
Right Lane: Matt Smith Runs 6.970/195.31, Now #5

Strong 1.04 60 foot time for Stoffer and a top four four result.

Fastest speed, so far for Smith, but he looked to be slow off the line with a 0.113 60' time.

Karen Stoffer's incremental times: 60ft-1.043 sec., 330ft-2.858, 660ft-4.409/157.76 mph, 1,000ft-5.766.
Matt Smith's incremental times: 60ft-1.130 sec., 330ft-2.958, 660ft-4.487/159.61 mph, 1,000ft-5.823.

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Left Lane: Jerry Savoie Runs 6.925/192.63, Now #3
Right Lane: Hector Arana Jr No Time, Now #13

Arana's bike leaves, bucks, puffs out some smoke, and gets way sideways. Fluid on the starting line and on down the track. Time out to clean it up.

Savoie had no issues in the left lane and runs right into the new #3 spot without any drama.

Jerry Savoie's incremental times: 60ft-1.059 sec., 330ft-2.879, 660ft-4.420/158.95 mph, 1,000ft-5.766.

11:59 a.m.

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Left Lane: Scotty Pollacheck Runs 6.862/193.38, Now #3
Right Lane: Andrew Hines Runs 6.841/197.45, Now #2

12:12 p.m. Back to qualifying.

Hines runs hard into the #2 spot with the new top speed of the meet.

Pollacheck has the power too and slots light in behind him in #3 for now.

Scotty Pollacheck's incremental times: 60ft-1.033 sec., 330ft-2.832, 660ft-4.363/159.32 mph, 1,000ft-5.707.
Andrew Hines' incremental times: 60ft-1.085 sec., 330ft-2.865, 660ft-4.385/160.98 mph, 1,000ft-5.708.

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Left Lane: LE Tonglet Runs 6.861/195.96, Now #4
Right Lane: Eddie Krawiec Runs 6.847/197.77, Now #3

Two more strong passes and they run hard right up to the top four.

Krawiec moves the top speed up a notch too.

LE Tonglet's incremental times: 60ft-1.068 sec., 330ft-2.860, 660ft-4.383/160.77 mph, 1,000ft-5.717.
Eddie Krawiec's incremental times: 60ft-1.100 sec., 330ft-2.884, 660ft-4.396/161.85 mph, 1,000ft-5.716.

12:15 p.m. hip Ellis is number one at 6.839 and Ryan Oehler is on the bump spot at 8.168.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink