Thu, 07 Feb 2019, 19:07 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 59th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Randy Eakins Runs 15.049/58.10, Now #2
Right Lane: Matt Sackman Runs 5.181/276.52, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 29.03 inches, adjusted altitude 1,815 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.

Eakins is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

Sackman launched hard and kept it hooked up to run a career best to start the season. Matt Sackman's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.361, 660ft-3.453/229.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.379.

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Left Lane: Derik Milanesio Runs 15.775/70.68, Now #4
Right Lane: Krista Baldwin Runs 5.467/262.79, Now #2

Milanesio is up in smoke and clicks it off.

Baldwin with a good clean pass to start the weekend.

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Left Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 11.050/70.56, Now #4
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.220/275.73, Now #2

Grisel starts to lose traction early and clicks it off.

Bateman is straight down the groove with a nice pass. Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.384, 660ft-3.479/228.92 mph, 1,000ft-4.411.

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Left Lane: James Stevens Runs 8.086/106.78, Now #5
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.453/275.45, Now #3

Stevens starts to haze the tires early and clicks it off.

Demke with a clean pass to start the weekend. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.511, 660ft-3.664/216.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.635.

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Left Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 5.223/281.13, Now #3
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.311/274.83, Now #4

This was a good side-by side drag race.

Nataas was straight down the groove with a nice pass to go to the number three spot. Julie Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.409, 660ft-3.503/229.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.428.

Shields with a good clean pass, he does slow on the top end. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.441, 660ft-3.555/224.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.500.

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.166/280.25, Now #1
Right Lane: Joey Severance No Time, Now #12

Number one and two in the world last year.

Cowie launched hard and was straight down the groove to go to the number one spot. Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.424/224.21 mph, 1,000ft-4.365.

Severance car went silent right at the hit and he came to a stop around 200 feet down track.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink