Sun, 03 Nov 2019, 12:02 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7735 Steve Gasparrelli                     508 Doug Schneider               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.065  5.552 263.77                           No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Hool      )       No Time            (H Wernhart  ) 0.034  5.861 246.93
 Qualified:             #9  5.573 263.15                       #17  5.797 251.39

8:47 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 18 percent, barometer 27.94 inches, adjusted altitude 2,816 feet, track temperature 69 degrees.

Schneider does not make the call to the line giving Gasparrelli the free pass. Gasparrelli goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Shane Westerfield                       9 Brian Hough                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.050  5.454 268.60                     0.066  5.470 267.59
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Parker    ) 0.055  5.486 267.59      (S Macklyn   ) 0.046  5.506 266.53
 Qualified:             #3  5.431 271.35                        #6  5.499 265.53

Westerfield is 8 - 2 against Hough in prior events.

Westerfield gets out of the gate first, then Hough starts to make up ground. Westerfield starts gaining again at half track and pulls away for the win.

Shane Westerfield's incremental margins: 60ft(0.020), 330 ft(0.013), 660ft(0.020), 1,000ft(0.028). MOV: 0.0322 seconds (approximately 13 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Sean Bellemeur                       5757 Terry Ruckman                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.022  5.409 271.95                     0.039  5.944 171.93
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Turner    ) 0.052  5.442 269.83      (J Payne     ) 0.041  5.616 264.18
 Qualified:             #2  5.429 270.54                       #10  5.577 266.69

Bellemeur gets the holeshot and starts to pull away. Ruckman bangs the blower about 1000 feet out and the chutes come out. Bellemeur goes on through with the quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.436, 660ft-3.596/213.81 mph, 1,000ft-4.580.

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

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Chris Marshall                         10 Ulf Leanders                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.069  5.450 267.00                     0.070  5.498 263.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Whiteley  ) 0.152  5.469 265.48      (M Doushgouni) 0.040  5.536 262.18
 Qualified:            #12  5.595 262.95                        #4  5.450 264.23

Marshall is 1 - 0 against Leanders in prior events.

A coin flip off of the line, Marshall gets the early lead. The car drifts a little to the left, then back to the right, but he goes on through with his quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

Marshall will have lane choice over Gasparrelli in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink