Sat, 16 Nov 2019, 17:42 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car 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
   10 Ulf Leanders                               Bye
E2   ****WINNER****  0.077  5.493 266.42     
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Martin    ) 0.080  5.630 265.27   
 Qualified:             #2  5.440 267.75                     Bye

2:27 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 3,346 feet, track temperature 107 degrees.

Leanders will start the round with the bye run. He takes the Camaro right down the middle of the groove on a great looking pass.

Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.469, 660ft-3.646/210.37 mph, 1,000ft-4.649.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Shane Westerfield                    7735 Steve Gasparrelli            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.049  5.491 270.05                     0.119  6.314 170.41
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Marshall  ) 0.084  5.585 268.17      (H Jones     ) 0.061  5.937 248.57
 Qualified:             #3  5.462 268.49                        #6  5.543 264.65

Westerfield is 6 - 3 against Gasparrelli in prior events.

Westerfield gets a big starting line advantage and pulls steadily ahead all the way to the finish line. That's good enough for lane choice over Leanders by 0.002 in the next round tomorrow.

Gasparrelli's Camaro started to shake and spin down track and then make a move towards the center line. He wisely clicks it off.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.666/212.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.656.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Sean Bellemeur                        757 Mike Doushgounian            
E2                   0.021  5.653 264.34     ****WINNER****  0.016  5.646 259.61
 Prior rounds:
E1                   0.030  5.459 270.27      (B Williamson) 0.040  5.688 261.42
 Qualified:             #1  5.436 269.62                        #7  5.603 261.62

Two great RT's just 0.005 apart.

Bellemeur is stronger early and stays in front until about 100 feet out. Mike Doushgounian just gets on by at that point and slowly pulls ahead. Bellemeur starts to catch him back up, but runs out of race track.

Mike Doushgounian's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.015), 330 ft(0.041), 660ft(0.041), 1,000ft(0.026). MOV: 0.0125 seconds (approximately 5 feet). MOV: 0.0125 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.563, 660ft-3.780/205.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.799.
Mike Doushgounian's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.527, 660ft-3.744/203.65 mph, 1,000ft-4.778.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5757 Terry Ruckman                           9 Brian Hough                  
E2                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.051 12.495  61.63
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Payne     ) 0.059  5.559 266.69      (T Parker    ) 0.061  5.581 264.75
 Qualified:            #10  5.897 198.61                        #4  5.496 264.44

This is the first time Ruckman and Hough have faced each other in eliminations.

Ruckman's engine goes silent on the line and Hough gets a free pass to round three. That's really lucky for him, as the Camaro kicks the tires loose hard about 100 feet out.

Doushgounian will have lane choice tomorrow.

2:37 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink