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Sat, 12 Oct 2019, 18:41 PM

Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Duane Shields                           2 Shawn Cowie                  
E1                   0.058  5.312 272.17     ****WINNER****  0.026  5.295 277.26
 Qualified:             #7  5.240 276.92                       #10  5.274 276.46

Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 37 percent, barometer 29.26 inches, adjusted altitude 3,271 feet, track temperature 105 degrees.
Cowie is 7 - 3 against Shields in prior events.
Cowie with a great light and never trailed for the win. Shawn Cowie's MOV: 0.0493 seconds (approximately 20 feet).

Shields was out of the groove and over by the centerline, he stayed with it in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Megan Meyer                           238 Mick Steele                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.063  5.373 272.78                     0.064  5.384 270.97
 Qualified:             #2  5.186 277.43                       #15  5.358 270.10

This is the first time Meyer and Steele have faced each other in eliminations.
Meyer with a tick advantage on the tree, Steele had the lead when they went by the Christmas tree. He had the lead until right before 1000 feet when she chased him down and took the win in a close one. Megan Meyer's MOV: 0.0126 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

She will give up lane choice in the next round to Cowie. That race will have Championship implications.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Jackie Fricke                         183 Tom Fox Jr.                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.076  5.332 266.00                     0.070 10.854 107.22
 Qualified:             #9  5.263 273.50                        #8  5.259 273.00

This is the first time Fricke and Fox Jr. have faced each other in eliminations.
Fox Jr. with the slight starting line advantage, but is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off.

Fricke is straight down the groove for the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Julie Nataas                           33 Robin Samsel                 
E1                   0.005  5.323 270.92     ****WINNER****  0.031  5.275 271.79
 Qualified:             #5  5.225 274.05                       #12  5.305 273.05

This is the first time Nataas and Samsel have faced each other in eliminations.
Nataas with a great light, but Samsel had the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win. Robin Samsel's MOV: 0.0226 seconds (approximately 9 feet).

Samsel with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 4824 Shane Conway                         2422 Jamie Noonan                 
E1                   0.048 10.826  90.21     ****WINNER****  0.078  6.335 254.38
 Qualified:             #6  5.225 272.61                       #11  5.293 272.67

This is the first time Conway and Noonan have faced each other in eliminations.
Conway the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke right at the hit. He pedals it and is back up in smoke...pedals it and can't get it to hook up.

Noonan is up in smoke right at the hit and pedals it and gets it hooked up enough to get the win. Noonan wins his first round at his first National event.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 725K Krista Baldwin                         15 Dan Mercier                  
E1                   0.063  5.384 272.12     ****WINNER****  0.052  5.270 279.27
 Qualified:            #14  5.350 267.43                        #3  5.199 279.79

Mercier is 1 - 0 against Baldwin in prior events.

Mercier with the starting line advantage and Never trails for the win. He will have lane choice over Noonan in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  176 Jeff Veale                             23 Josh Hart                    
E1                  -0.024  5.342 275.73     ****WINNER****  0.036  5.366 275.39
 Qualified:            #13  5.306 276.01                        #4  5.209 277.26

Hart is 3 - 1 against Veale in prior events.
Veale goes red to give Hart the win.

Hart was straight down the groove with a nice pass. He will give up lane choice to Samsel in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  178 Earl Nichols Jr.                        4 Troy Coughlin Jr.            
E1                   0.084  5.515 263.98     ****WINNER****  0.098  5.196 273.44
 Qualified:            #17  5.537 263.00                        #1  5.126 282.66

Coughlin Jr. is 1 - 0 against Nichols Jr. in prior events.
Nichols Jr. is in as an alternate for Greco.
Nichols Jr. with the starting line advantage, but Coughlin Jr. has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trails from there on for the win. Coughlin with the quickest pass of round one and will have lane choice over Fricke in the next round.

Nichols Jr. with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink