Sat, 12 Oct 2019, 18:59 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car 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
    3 Annie Whiteley                        189 John Headley                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.132  5.514 268.71                     0.167  7.274 170.11
 Qualified:             #1  5.440 271.24                       #16  7.209 158.48

6:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.26 inches, adjusted altitude 3,191 feet, track temperature 105 degrees.

Whiteley gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. Headley hits the throttle and rattles the tires. his car starts hopping around, he gets about 200 feet out and gives up on the run. Whiteley goes on through with a clean pass to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  375 Bob Thomas                              9 Brian Hough                  
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.058  5.454 269.29
 Qualified:            #15  6.402 198.03                        #2  5.457 269.94

Thomas is a no-show. Hough goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.459, 660ft-3.626/212.59 mph, 1,000ft-4.618.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 DJ Cox Jr.                              4 Chris Marshall               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.073  5.528 266.69                    -0.016  5.460 266.85
 Qualified:            #14  6.288 162.08                        #3  5.477 266.64

Cox hasn't made a clean pass this weekend.

Marshall hits the throttle a little too soon and goes red ending his chase for the championship. Cox finally makes a clean pass for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Ulf Leanders                         2183 Aryan Rochon                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.071  5.527 265.17                     0.083  5.736 259.51
 Qualified:             #4  5.479 268.33                       #18  7.809 117.40

Rochon is a little behind off the line but is able to get around Leanders at the sixty-foot mark. He starts skating around after that allowing Leanders to get back around and start pulling away. Leanders starts skating around late in the run but stayed on the throttle and pulled away for the win.

Ulf Leanders' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.013), 330 ft(0.111), 660ft(0.172), 1,000ft(0.202). MOV: 0.2215 seconds (approximately 84 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 Matt Gill                              34 Tony Bogolo                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  5.498 268.65                     0.095  5.713 257.53
 Qualified:             #5  5.496 269.56                       #12  5.664 259.66

Gill gets a little head start and extends his lead all the way through the run. Bogolo makes a decent pass but could never make a move on Gill.

Gill will have lane choice over Leanders in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  187 Brian Gawlick                           2 Shane Westerfield            
E1                   0.041 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.036  5.555 268.97
 Qualified:            #11  5.605 259.91                        #6  5.505 269.46

Westerfield gets out of the gate first. Gawlick leaves the line and gets around Westerfield before they reached the sixty foot mark. Gawlick gets about 400 feet out, the car makes a hard move to the right and crosses the centerline. He heads right towards Westerfield but backs off of the throttle and steers it back to the left. He takes out a couple of timing blocks at half track and steers it back into his lane. Westerfield goes on through with a clean pass to take the win.

Cox will have lane choice over Westerfield in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  345 Phil Esz                                1 Sean Bellemeur               
E1                   0.110 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.024  5.465 267.91
 Qualified:            #10  5.588 259.21                        #7  5.505 268.44

Bellemeur gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. Esz leaves the line, rattles the tires and starts to move around. He makes a hard move to the right, crosses the centerline, then steers it back in his lane. Bellemeur goes on through with his quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

Hough will have lane choice over Bellemeur in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  562 Kris Hool                              11 Dan Pomponio                 
E1                   0.047  5.640 262.39     ****WINNER****  0.032  5.582 261.93
 Qualified:             #9  5.564 265.06                        #8  5.535 261.78

Pomponio gets the holeshot but Hool pulls even at the sixty foot mark. Pomponio makes a move and starts pulling away again and takes the win.

Dan Pomponio's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.008), 330 ft(0.029), 660ft(0.062), 1,000ft(0.072). MOV: 0.0732 seconds (approximately 28 feet).

Whiteley will have lane choice over Pomponio in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink