Mon, 11 Feb 2019, 14:24 PM Top Fuel Harley Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel Harley at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 59th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com:

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Rickey House                          267 Kevin Boyer                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.122  6.871 200.05                     0.067 No Time      
 Qualified:             #4  6.367 223.39                        #5  6.373 215.51

10:57 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 53 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 1,053 feet, track temperature 72 degrees.

Boyer gets a big head start, but has the bike pull steadily to the center line and he finally closes over right at mid-track to get his run DQ'ed.

House's engine sounds rough and he slows to still get the easy win.

Rickey House's incremental times: 60ft-1.209 sec., 330ft-2.998, 660ft-4.407/172.50 mph, 1,000ft-5.731.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   63 Jay Turner                             76 Beau Layne                   
E1                   0.135  6.597 229.55     ****WINNER****  0.053  6.371 228.15
 Qualified:             #3  6.359 220.80                        #6  6.402 225.82

Upset! Layne gets a huge starting line advantage and is never headed, as Turner can't match his prior best.

Jay Turner's incremental times: 60ft-1.221 sec., 330ft-3.041, 660ft-4.440/178.71 mph, 1,000ft-5.611.
Beau Layne's incremental times: 60ft-1.173 sec., 330ft-2.911, 660ft-4.248/184.90 mph, 1,000ft-5.392.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tii Tharpe                            600 Andy Beauchemin              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  6.510 218.30                    -0.020  6.632 214.55
 Qualified:             #2  6.264 223.88                        #7  6.574 213.16

Andy Beauchemin misses the tree and gives the easy win to Tharpe.

Tharpe's engine gets unhappy down track and he slows. He gives up lane choice to Layne in round two.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Doug Vancil                           204 Randal Andras                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.052  6.279 228.73                     0.052  7.183 142.99
 Qualified:             #1  6.247 235.64                        #8  6.577 212.36

They have identical reaction times, and then it is all Vancil for the win. He will have lane choice over House in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink