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Fri, 10 Nov 2023, 18:36 PM

Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 58th annual In-N-Out 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:

Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.162/279.09, Now #1; Best prior run: 17.919/42.07, Was #24
Right Lane: Kirk Wolf Runs 8.376/100.25, Now #24; Best prior run: 9.592/81.75, Was #23

2:36 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 14 percent, barometer 29.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,205 feet.

Taylor Vetter is currently number one with a 5.198 and Eric Chesleigh is on the bump spot at 5.397.

From the Outhouse to the Penthouse! Cowie leaves hard and power right on up to the top spot with great looking pass.

Wolf gets bumped down a stop on a little better run after shaking the tires loose down track. He will have one more chance later.

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.318, 660ft-3.415/225.22 mph, 1,000ft-4.358.

Left Lane: Jerry Kumre Runs 5.943/224.21, Now #23; Best prior run: 6.741/148.41, Was #23
Right Lane: Shaunda Blinzler Runs 5.858/186.51, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.160/173.81, Was #22

Mike Austin is on the bump spot at 5.391.

Lots of holes out, as Kumre goes down the track. He gets a better run, but stays #23.

Blinzler leave well and slows going down track. She too runs quicker to stay in her Q1 position.

2:44 p.m. Looks like a little "stuff" in the right lane near the last turnoff.

Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.801/252.99, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.676/247.52, Was #20
Right Lane: Trevor Larkin Runs 5.465/260.51, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.717/251.44, Was #21

2:51 p.m. Back to qualifying.

Demke continues to struggle and loses ET from session one.

Larkin finds a little tune up and moves up two spots to #19.

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.585, 660ft-3.848/197.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.910.
Trevor Larkin's incremental times: 60ft-0.988 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.637/219.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.613.

Left Lane: Madison Payne Runs 5.266/275.67, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.466/236.46, Was #20
Right Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 17.228/39.13, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.401/264.34, Was #18

Fricke's struggles continue, as the slicks are right up in smoke at the green.

Payne gets everything right this time and powers down the track, right into the #6 position. Nice!

Madison Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.413, 660ft-3.516/226.77 mph, 1,000ft-4.456.

Left Lane: Eric Chesleigh Runs 10.189/97.87, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.397/262.39, Was #18
Right Lane: Mike Austin Runs 5.360/270.10, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.391/268.97, Was #17

Mitch Myers is on the bump spot at 5.379.

Austin just got bumped out by Payne and he find just a little ET to bump back in to the field in #15 for now.

No joy for Chesleigh, with the dragster in trouble right off the line.

Mike Austin's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.407, 660ft-3.549/216.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.528.

Left Lane: Mitch Myers Runs 9.822/81.95, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.379/267.96, Was #17
Right Lane: Ron Anderson Runs 5.463/264.49, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.368/273.16, Was #16

Ron Anderson is now the bump spot at 5.368 and ready to move up the ladder. It's not to be this time, as the engine is dropping cylinder going down the track.

I didn't any obvious issues with Meyer's pass, but the engine goes silent right after the green.

Ron Anderson's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.469, 660ft-3.634/215.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.618.

Left Lane: Hunter Green Runs 5.342/274.16, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.335/271.79, Was #13
Right Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.311/275.06, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.345/277.09, Was #14

The field is now set for session two and the drivers will fight for better positions on the ladder.

Two strong passes and they both improve. Grisel get the best of it and it could have even better, as the engine is dropping cylinders right before the lights.

Clean pass for Green and he moves up one spot on the ladder to #14.

Hunter Green's incremental times: 60ft-0.999 sec., 330ft-2.499, 660ft-3.603/227.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.535.
Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.448, 660ft-3.565/225.63 mph, 1,000ft-4.503.

Left Lane: James Stevens Runs 6.087/184.19, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.331/267.91, Was #12
Right Lane: Krista Baldwin Runs 7.543/114.98, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.331/267.59, Was #13

Stevens leaves well, then starts to spin the tires. He pumps the pedal and finishes the run, but no improvement.

Baldwin was strong early, but shook the tires loose before the 660 lights.

Left Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 10.681/91.78, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.311/274.22, Was #11
Right Lane: Kim Parker Runs 5.405/271.73, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.306/266.79, Was #9

Bateman shakes the tires look right off the line and is coasting.

Parker started to get loose, pumped the pedal, and finished the pass to lose a little ET, but run a little faster.

Kim Parker's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.472, 660ft-3.630/221.05 mph, 1,000ft-4.585.

Left Lane: Matthew Cummings Runs 5.282/269.83, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.269/266.06, Was #7
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 9.492/111.40, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.296/236.09, Was #8

Strong pass for Cummings with just a little less ET, but a better speed to stay number seven.

Severance is off the throttle early and coasting early.

Matthew Cummings' incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.421, 660ft-3.522/227.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.462.

Left Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 5.221/274.61, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.252/271.41, Was #5
Right Lane: Tony Stewart Runs 5.229/275.73, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.218/276.92, Was #3

Nataas is the 2023 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion and looking to move up the latter.

A great pair of passe to the finis line!

Nataas is a little quicker and move up into the top four and Stewart is a little slower to stay #3.

Julie Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.380, 660ft-3.479/228.34 mph, 1,000ft-4.412.
Tony Stewart's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.391, 660ft-3.486/228.65 mph, 1,000ft-4.421.

Left Lane: Angelle Sampey Runs 5.207/276.13, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.234/274.05, Was #5
Right Lane: Taylor Vetter Runs 5.256/277.77, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.198/279.21, Was #2

We wrap up session two with a strong pair of side by side passes.

Like the prior pair, Sampey is a little quicker and moves up to the #3 position and Vetter is a little slower, but will stay number two with one session to go at the end of the day.

3:20 p.m. Ron Anderson is on the bump spot at 5.368.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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