Fri, 13 Sep 2019, 19:06 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Earl Nichols Jr. Runs 7.027/162.37, Now #11; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Richard Bourke Runs 9.630/157.08, Now #14; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 64 percent, barometer 29.80 inches, adjusted altitude 1,493 feet, track temperature 77 degrees.

Nichols Jr. starts to lose traction and clicks it off.

Bourke clicks it off early.

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Left Lane: Richard St. Pierre Runs 5.530/258.12, Now #9; Best prior run: 14.661/47.53, Was #16

St. Pierre with a clean pass...Richard St. Pierre's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.432, 660ft-3.630/206.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.661.

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Left Lane: Frank Schuster Runs 5.649/256.31, Now #11; Best prior run: 9.342/89.57, Was #14
Right Lane: Mike Kosky No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 15.387/46.49, Was #17

Schuster rattled the tires right at the hit, but he drove through it.

Kosky was leaking fluid and was shut off prior to the burnout.

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Left Lane: Troy Coughlin Jr. Runs 5.209/280.37, Now #5; Best prior run: 8.139/100.29, Was #14
Right Lane: Josh Hart Runs 5.205/277.72, Now #4; Best prior run: 9.852/79.76, Was #16

This was a great side-by-side drag race.

Coughlin is straight down the groove to go to the number five spot. Troy Coughlin Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.412, 660ft-3.490/231.24 mph, 1,000ft-4.413.

Hart kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number four spot. Josh Hart's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.374, 660ft-3.472/228.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.403.

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Left Lane: Brandon Greco Runs 5.318/266.95, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.936/118.96, Was #14
Right Lane: Dan Dietrich Runs 5.722/212.76, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.589/236.17, Was #12

Greco launched hard and kept it hooked up to make his career quickest pass to go to the number nine spot. He runs his fastest pass of the season. Brandon Greco's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.495/215.41 mph, 1,000ft-4.480.

Dietrich clicked it off early.

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Left Lane: Tom Fox Jr. Runs 6.053/132.00, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.285/272.06, Was #8
Right Lane: Jeff Veale Runs 10.122/86.04, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.394/277.72, Was #11

Fox Jr. was on a good pass and then the he bangs the blower.

Veale shakes early and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 9.792/81.26, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.278/274.55, Was #7
Right Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 7.251/141.24, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.359/269.73, Was #10

Fricke with severe tire shake early and clicked it off.

Samsel lost traction early, pedaled it, but it didn't hook up and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.184/279.27, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.257/277.49, Was #6
Right Lane: Megan Meyer Runs 5.234/272.61, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.190/273.61, Was #3

Cowie launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number three spot. Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.329, 660ft-3.435/223.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.380.

Meyer with another great pass, but will not improve. Megan Meyer's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.395, 660ft-3.482/229.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.419.

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Left Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 12.135/57.28, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.176/279.32, Was #1
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.223/276.07, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.183/278.52, Was #2

Nataas with tire shake right at the hit and clicked it off.

Shields will not improve, but makes another great pass. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.391, 660ft-3.482/228.92 mph, 1,000ft-4.416.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink