Sat, 12 Oct 2019, 21:32 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 2 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
    1 Sean Bellemeur                          9 Brian Hough                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.031  5.469 267.96                     0.068  5.447 270.21
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Esz       ) 0.024  5.465 267.91      (R Thomas    ) 0.058  5.454 269.29
 Qualified:             #7  5.505 268.44                        #2  5.457 269.94

9:14 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 29.28 inches, adjusted altitude 2,652 feet.

Hough needs this win to keep his championship hopes alive.

Bellemeur gets out of the gate first but Hough starts reeling him in quickly. Hough makes his quickest pass of the weekend, continues to gain ground early but runs out of race track.

Sean Bellemeur's incremental margins: 60ft(0.043), 330 ft(0.035), 660ft(0.032), 1,000ft(0.024). MOV: 0.0154 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   11 Dan Pomponio                            3 Annie Whiteley               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.050  5.543 262.03                     0.098  7.566 130.62
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Hool      ) 0.032  5.582 261.93      (J Headley   ) 0.132  5.514 268.71
 Qualified:             #8  5.535 261.78                        #1  5.440 271.24

Pomponio gets the advantage off the line and extends his lead all the way through the run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Ulf Leanders                           13 Matt Gill                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.056  5.500 264.80                     0.053  5.505 268.28
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Rochon    ) 0.071  5.527 265.17      (T Bogolo    ) 0.088  5.498 268.65
 Qualified:             #4  5.479 268.33                        #5  5.496 269.56

Not much difference off the line, Leanders get out in front early, Gill starts making up ground but Leanders hangs on and takes the win.

Ulf Leanders' incremental margins: 60ft(0.005), 330 ft(0.032), 660ft(0.025), 1,000ft(0.013). MOV: 0.0023 seconds (approximately 11 inches).

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

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Shane Westerfield                      14 DJ Cox Jr.                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.037  5.505 268.87                     0.027  7.629 127.10
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Gawlik    ) 0.036  5.555 268.97      (C Marshall  ) 0.073  5.528 266.69
 Qualified:             #6  5.505 269.46                       #14  6.288 162.08

Cox gets out of the gate first, stays in front past the sixty foot mark, then he has traction problems and has to back off the throttle. Westerfield drives around him at that point and pulls away for the win.

With the win, Westerfield keeps his championship hopes alive. He will give up lane choice to the points leader Bellemeur in the next round tomorrow.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink