Sat, 09 Mar 2024, 17:59 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 55th annual NHRA Gatornationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  176 Jeff Veale                             13 Karen Stalba                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.039  5.459 270.43                    -0.155  5.305 267.96
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Cummings  ) 0.028  5.497 269.24      (T Bruce     ) 0.106  5.302 263.05
 Qualified:            #16  5.477 271.08                        #8  5.316 257.92

5:46 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 77 percent, barometer 29.79 inches, adjusted altitude 2,343 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Stalba makes another good pass but is too quick off of the line and goes red giving the win to Veale. Veale makes a decent pass and moves on to round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Julie Nataas                            9 Hunter Green                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.075  5.231 269.46                     0.026  5.359 273.94
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Coughlin  ) 0.084  5.248 270.48      (M Smith     ) 0.046  5.212 275.67
 Qualified:             #4  5.262 270.27                        #5  5.270 272.23

This is the first time Nataas and Green have faced each other in eliminations.

Green gets out of the gate first but it sounded like he had to pedal it once. Nataas goes around Green before they reach the 330 foot mark and starts pulling away. green starts making up ground late in the run but runs out of race track.

Julie Nataas' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.013), 330 ft(0.022), 660ft(0.066), 1,000ft(0.081). MOV: 0.0795 seconds (approximately 32 feet).

Nataas will have lane choice over Veale in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  450 Kirk Wolf                               5 Jackie Fricke                
E2                   0.057 12.434  60.58     ****WINNER****  0.039  5.270 276.75
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B McBride   ) 0.027  5.268 274.61      (J Chatterson) 0.063  5.305 276.46
 Qualified:             #3  5.249 259.46                        #6  5.283 277.72

Wolf and Fricke have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.

Wolf hits the throttle, starts shaking the tires and has to give up on the run. Fricke goes down the groove with her quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.459, 660ft-3.545/231.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.468.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  491 Angelle Sampey                        212 Joe Maynard                  
E2                   0.046  5.353 270.21     ****WINNER****  0.051  5.310 271.52
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Stevens   ) 0.050  5.393 271.02      (D Dietrich  ) 0.065  5.237 272.23
 Qualified:             #7  5.316 272.61                        #2  5.226 274.11

Sampey gets the advantage off of the line, stays in front past the sixty foot mark, then Maynard is able to power by and pull away for the win.

Joe Maynard's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.015), 330 ft(0.024), 660ft(0.037), 1,000ft(0.036). MOV: 0.0382 seconds (approximately 15 feet).

Fricke will have lane choice over Maynard in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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