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Thu, 08 Nov 2018, 19:42 PM

Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed this round, amount over/under index this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time, speed & over/under Index, and position in order prior to run:

Right Lane: Randy Jones Runs 8.251/164.17/-0.559, Now #18; C/T Index: 8.81, Prior Best: 8.287/162.51/-0.523, Was #18

4:09 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 28.82 inches, adjusted altitude 2,986 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.

Art Hodges is number one at -0.722 and Field not filled, no bump spot.

Wilson pulls out of line before the burnout and goes back to the pits.

Jones picks up a little, but stays number 18.

Left Lane: Tony Mandella Runs 7.931/172.96/-0.559, Now #17; A/SMA Index: 8.49, Prior Best: 7.931/157.72/-0.559, Was #17
Right Lane: Todd Miller Runs 6.434/219.61/-0.606, Now #2; AA/AM Index: 7.04, Prior Best: 6.352/208.49/-0.688, Was #2

Mandella runs exactly the same ET as Q1 with a lot ore speed to stay #17.

Miller goes faster, but is just a little off in ET to stay #2.

Left Lane: Ralph Van Paepeghem Runs 7.956/120.61/0.146, Now #20; A/EA Index: 7.81, Prior Best: 7.322/181.20/-0.488, Was #20
Right Lane: Stig Olsson Runs 6.553/208.52/-0.537, Now #16; A/DA Index: 7.09, Prior Best: 6.527/204.82/-0.563, Was #16

Olsson is running a unique Neil and Parks front engine dragster. He has his hands full off the line and drives on down with a big speed, but a slower ET.

Van Paepeghem slows early.

Left Lane: Josh Lee Runs 8.972/128.02/-0.518, Now #4; H/EA Index: 9.49, Prior Best: 8.847/148.41/-0.643, Was #4
Right Lane: Jim Greenheck Runs 9.222/102.72/1.072, Now #10; D/AA Index: 8.15, Prior Best: 7.543/178.73/-0.607, Was #10

Lee gets loose off the line and slows a little.

Greenheck is coasting early.

Left Lane: Brandon Huhtala Runs 7.666/136.23/0.006, Now #23; B/A Index: 7.66, Prior Best: 7.742/133.42/0.082, Was #22
Right Lane: Ryan Warter Runs 8.676/156.01/-0.624, Now #8; F/SM Index: 9.30, Prior Best: 9.393/101.80/0.093, Was #23

Huhtala is yet to make a full pass and struggles once again.

Warter finally makes a full pass and it's a good one, right into the top eight spot for now.

Left Lane: Barry Forrester Runs 7.298/179.59/-0.592, Now #16; C/ED Index: 7.89, Prior Best: 7.371/178.14/-0.519, Was #20
Right Lane: John Edwards Runs 7.342/185.08/-0.598, Now #15; C/AA Index: 7.94, Prior Best: 7.370/184.57/-0.570, Was #16

Two clean passes and two improvements!

Forrester gets back to his prior pace and moves up four spots to #20.

Edwards finds a little tune up too and moves to number fifteen.

Left Lane: Tom Mettler Runs 7.408/184.12/-0.582, Now #13; PST Index: 7.99, Prior Best: 7.388/184.02/-0.602, Was #13
Right Lane: David Rampy Runs 7.270/157.85/-0.550, Now #10; A/EA Index: 7.82, Prior Best: 7.212/179.71/-0.608, Was #10

Mettler makes another clean pass to stay #13.

Rampy is getting ready for tomorrow and runs right on the fifty under CIC spot. Cleaver!

Left Lane: Doug Engels Runs 17.450/77.49/9.540, Now #9; D/ED Index: 7.91, Prior Best: 7.288/180.14/-0.622, Was #9
Right Lane: Travis Gusso Runs 8.324/163.20/-0.656, Now #3; G/A Index: 8.98, Prior Best: 8.349/162.25/-0.631, Was #6

Engels is coasting early.

Gusso picks up some ET and speed to move three spots up the ladder to #3.

Left Lane: Art Hodges Runs 7.650/170.82/-0.700, Now #1; D/A Index: 8.35, Prior Best: 7.628/178.59/-0.722, Was #1
Right Lane: Ed Sigmon Runs 8.394/155.70/-0.636, Now #7; C/SR Index: 9.03, Prior Best: 8.452/152.24/-0.578, Was #17

Another great pass for Hodges and he keeps the top spot.

Sigmon gets a full pass this tie and jumps ten spots up the ladder to #7.

Left Lane: Frank Aragona Runs 7.319/162.82/-0.581, Now #8; E/DA Index: 7.90, Prior Best: 7.274/183.59/-0.626, Was #8
Right Lane: Doug Lambeck Runs 8.433/133.43/-0.507, Now #4; D/SMA Index: 8.94, Prior Best: 8.291/162.00/-0.649, Was #4

Lambeck's Sunfire uses a lot of track early and it costs him.

Aragona looks to be testing his CIC limit too.

Left Lane: David Billingsley Runs 8.111/164.51/-0.609, Now #6; D/EA Index: 8.72, Prior Best: 8.079/164.13/-0.641, Was #6

Last car for qualifying.

Strong pass for Billingsley and he will stay #6.

4:27 p.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink