Sat, 16 Nov 2019, 17:30 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  611 Garrett Bateman                       589 Gord Gingles                 
E2                   0.079 10.291  80.30     ****WINNER****  0.089  5.333 272.06
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Anderson  ) 0.055  5.294 275.00      (D Mercier   ) 0.009  5.307 276.58
 Qualified:             #5  5.253 275.56                       #13  5.388 269.89

Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 3,346 feet, track temperature 109 degrees.

Bateman is 1 - 0 against Gingles in prior events.

Bateman with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke right at the hit. The car is is completely sideways before he clicks it off.

Gingles is straight down the groove for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Shawn Cowie                            54 James Stevens                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.053  5.223 276.01                     0.128  5.321 257.63
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Fricke    ) 0.054  5.269 276.75      (J Severance ) 0.062  5.415 269.08
 Qualified:             #6  5.274 276.01                       #14  5.394 262.39

Cowie and Stevens have each won 3 times against the other in prior events.

Cowie with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Cowie with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Julie Nataas                           10 Chris Demke                  
E2                   0.232  5.233 278.23     ****WINNER****  0.047  5.331 273.05
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Conway    ) 0.067  5.178 277.66      (J Salinas   ) 0.053  5.293 275.06
 Qualified:             #1  5.138 281.36                        #8  5.290 274.33

Nataas and Demke have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.

Demke with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. He will have lane choice in the semifinal over Gingles by 0.002 seconds.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  724 Casey Grisel                            7 Duane Shields                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.040  5.301 271.95                     0.078 13.832  70.12
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R August Jr ) 0.061  5.247 275.11      (C McNicol   ) 0.031  5.295 272.34
 Qualified:             #7  5.283 272.89                        #2  5.216 278.06

Shields is 2 - 0 against Grisel in prior events.

Grisel with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will give up lane choice to Cowie in the semifinal.

Shields is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink