Sun, 24 Feb 2019, 17:48 PM Top Dragster presented by RacingRVs.com Round 3 Eliminations

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Dragster presented by RacingRVs.com at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 35th annual Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Arizona Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6640 Trevor Ritchie                        708 Jeff Taylor                  
E3                   0.049  9.811  75.94     ****WINNER****  0.010  7.245 180.33
         T/D  Dial: 6.59 (+/-):  3.221             T/D  Dial: 7.23 (+/-):  0.015
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Richardson) 0.032  6.595  0.025      (S Will      ) 0.033  7.241  0.021
E1    (P Januik    ) 0.014  6.578  0.018      (D Naylor    ) 0.019  7.234  0.024
 Qualified:             #9  6.575 209.23                       #29  7.222 187.16

3:38 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 28.78 inches, adjusted altitude 2,287 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Ritchie is off the throttle and coasting early.

Jeff Taylor puts up a 25 package for the easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 5149 Phil Unruh                             71 Ed Olpin                     
E3                   0.030  6.231 231.20     ****WINNER****  0.018  6.789 192.58
         T/D  Dial: 6.20 (+/-):  0.031             T/D  Dial: 6.75 (+/-):  0.039
 Prior rounds:
E2    (M Simmons   ) 0.061  6.205  0.025      (G Nash      ) 0.017  6.790  0.020
E1    (P Nero      ) 0.042  6.154  0.024      (D Knoblauch ) 0.025  6.736 -0.034
 Qualified:             #4  6.254 197.19                       #16  6.786 200.20

Great race!

Olpin gets away with the better RT and holds off a charging Unruh to take the 18 inch win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
    7 Steve Casner                         7168 James Warden                 
E3                   0.021  7.072 185.26     ****WINNER****  0.000  7.262 184.32
         T/D  Dial: 7.06 (+/-):  0.012             T/D  Dial: 7.24 (+/-):  0.022
 Prior rounds:
E2    (M MacBrair  ) 0.025  7.074  0.034      (B Wiens     ) 0.020  7.238 -0.012
E1    (M Mendenhall) 0.018  7.032  0.042      (P Dion      ) 0.004  7.216  0.026
 Qualified:            #23  7.014 192.11                       #27  7.207 185.05

Perfect light for James Warden to score a really close hole shot win. MOV: 0.0045 seconds (approximately 18 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7942 Thomas Bayer                         6010 Grant Durie                  
E3                  -0.003  8.394 103.87     ****WINNER****  0.023  6.740 186.69
         T/D  Dial: 6.86 (+/-):  1.534             T/D  Dial: 6.70 (+/-):  0.040
 Prior rounds:
E2    (M Trujillo  ) 0.045  6.862  0.032      (J Wiens     ) 0.011  6.721  0.021
E1    (B Ray McMaha) 0.038  6.852  0.032      (J Connelly  ) 0.027  6.701  0.021
 Qualified:            #18  6.836 195.51                       #14  6.688 197.62

Bayer goes red by just -0.003 to give Durie the early win.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink