Fri, 15 Nov 2019, 20:27 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals 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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Right Lane: Ron August Jr No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 12.203/96.59, Was #17

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.87 inches, adjusted altitude 2,535 feet, track temperature 77 degrees.

August Jr. double stepped it and left before the tree, so he will not get a time.

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Right Lane: Shane Conway Runs 10.636/82.03, Now #16; Best prior run: 9.400/88.16, Was #16

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

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Left Lane: Gord Gingles Runs 10.964/61.78, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.388/269.89, Was #12
Right Lane: Ron Anderson Runs 5.360/256.84, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.410/268.54, Was #14

Gingles with tire shake early and makes a move toward the centerline before he clicks it off.

Anderson kept it hitting on all eight all the way down the track to move up the ladder two spots. Ron Anderson's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.438, 660ft-3.570/218.41 mph, 1,000ft-4.529.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.367/265.69, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.320/273.27, Was #11
Right Lane: James Stevens No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.394/262.39, Was #14

Fricke with a good pass, but will not improve and stays in the number 11 spot. Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.442, 660ft-3.564/222.18 mph, 1,000ft-4.529. Stevens made a quick move toward the centerline and crossed over and finished in Fricke's lane.

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Right Lane: Jasmine Salinas Runs 5.363/267.11, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.305/269.51, Was #9

Salinas kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to make a good pass. She will not improve and stays in the number nine spot. Jasmine Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.428, 660ft-3.565/219.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.529.

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Left Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.381/273.39, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.283/272.89, Was #7
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 9.203/89.30, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.290/274.33, Was #8

Grisel is straight down the groove with a good clean pass, but will not improve. Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.430, 660ft-3.606/218.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.567.

Demke started to shake and pedaled it and could get it to hook up and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 11.046/69.39, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.227/276.63, Was #4
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.274/276.01, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.276/276.52, Was #6

Mercier shook right at the hit and clicked it off.

Cowie launched hard and kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number six spot. Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.376, 660ft-3.501/220.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.460.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 10.438/110.24, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.221/274.39, Was #3
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 11.917/85.00, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.253/275.56, Was #5

Severance lost traction right at the hit and clicked it off.

Bateman was up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 5.279/239.61, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.138/281.36, Was #1
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 9.385/84.09, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.216/278.06, Was #2

Nataas kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to make the second quickest pass of the session. She hold on to the number one spot for the second time this season and the fourth time in her career. Julie Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.395, 660ft-3.482/230.65 mph, 1,000ft-4.405.

Shields starts to lose traction and clicks it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink