Sun, 10 Mar 2024, 14:39 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 3 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Results of round 3 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
  212 Joe Maynard                             5 Jackie Fricke                
E3   ****WINNER****  0.365  5.209 274.44                     0.087 12.951  61.21
 Prior rounds:
E2    (A Sampey    ) 0.051  5.310 271.52      (K Wolf      ) 0.039  5.270 276.75
E1    (D Dietrich  ) 0.065  5.237 272.23      (J Chatterson) 0.063  5.305 276.46
 Qualified:             #2  5.226 274.11                        #6  5.283 277.72

2:03 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 55 percent, barometer 30.01 inches, adjusted altitude 1,125 feet.

Maynard goes into the beams and double bulbs Fricke. Fricke gets a big hole shot but goes up in smoke at the hit of the throttle. She pedals once, goes up in smoke again, then gives up on the run. Maynard goes down the groove with his quickest pass and takes the win to go to the final round in his first national event. .

Joe Maynard's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.392, 660ft-3.475/229.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.402.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  176 Jeff Veale                              1 Julie Nataas                 
E3   ****WINNER****  0.085  5.302 274.11                     0.065 15.312  47.86
 Prior rounds:
E2    (K Stalba    ) 0.039  5.459 270.43      (H Green     ) 0.075  5.231 269.46
E1    (M Cummings  ) 0.028  5.497 269.24      (M Coughlin  ) 0.084  5.248 270.48
 Qualified:            #16  5.477 271.08                        #4  5.262 270.27

Nataas is 2 - 0 against Veale in prior events.

Nataas gets the advantage off of the line but strikes the tires at the hit. She gets about 100 feet out and backs off of the throttle. Veale goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and will go to the finals from the number 16 qualifying spot.

Maynard will have lane choice over Veale in the final round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

E-mail rick@fastnews.net for information about supporting these reports.