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Sat, 12 Oct 2002, 12:55 PM

Competition Eliminator Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 17th annual O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec:

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  31 Tom Schmidt         8.432 -0.448 Q   15 Scott Tidwell       7.529 -0.541
      C/EA Index: 8.88                         C/A Index: 8.07
                  0.692  8.454 -0.426 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.537  7.789 -0.281

10:21 AM Once again the forecasters were a bit off on the forecast. It's 60 degrees, 95 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.12 and climbing, under gray skies once again. The track temperature is 79 degrees.

These two made their burnouts, pulled up to the line, and were signaled to shut their engines off because a light mist was falling.

11:24 AM Okay, let's try again. After an hour delay, Schmidt was tardy...MOV: 0.0108 seconds (approximately 3 feet).

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  16 Mike Saye           8.654 -0.536 Q   32 Ray Goodman         7.594 -0.436
       G/A Index: 9.19                        A/EA Index: 8.03
 *****WINNER***** 0.594  8.785 -0.405 E1                  0.613  7.660 -0.370

Saye is still in contention for the 2002 championship. MOV: 0.0541 seconds (approximately 14 feet).

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  35 Charlie Stewart     6.898 -0.402 Q    6 Sean Dodd           7.821 -0.579
      A/ED Index: 7.30                        D/AA Index: 8.40
                  0.525  6.938 -0.362 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.640  7.920 -0.480

In as an alternate, Stewart had a great light, Dodd was late, and Dodd won anyway. MOV: 0.0035 seconds (approximately 12 inches).

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  14 Greg Williams       8.584 -0.546 Q   33 Douglas Stewart     7.102 -0.408
     C/SMA Index: 9.13                        B/ED Index: 7.51
 *****WINNER***** 0.541  9.099 -0.031 E1                  0.445  8.738  1.228

First-alternate Stewart was a bit early...

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  24 Tom Huggins         7.289 -0.511 Q    8 Rodger Brogdon      7.986 -0.574
       B/A Index: 7.80                        A/SM Index: 8.56
                  0.592  7.332 -0.468 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.530  8.051 -0.509

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  13 Donald Manichia     7.237 -0.553 Q   29 Joey Tanksley       7.036 -0.474
      A/ND Index: 7.79                        B/ED Index: 7.51
 *****WINNER***** 0.552  9.466  1.676 E1                  0.543 13.192  5.682

manichia smoked the tires, but Tanksley was broken, possibly the throttle linkage because the car did not respond at all, and could not take advantage of the opportunity.

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  17 Keith Mawhee        8.346 -0.534 Q    1 Al Weiss            8.395 -0.695
      F/AA Index: 8.88                        E/EA Index: 9.09
                  0.463  8.984  0.104 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.529 10.116  1.026

Still no upsets this round...

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  28 Mike Johnson        7.521 -0.489 Q   12 Charlie Watson      8.942 -0.558
      C/ED Index: 8.01                         H/A Index: 9.50
                  0.591  7.528 -0.482 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.520  9.019 -0.481

Still no upset, Watson winning on a big holeshot. MOV: 0.0708 seconds (approximately 18 feet).

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
   2 Jeff Taylor         8.215 -0.685 Q   18 Bill Kent           7.077 -0.533
     B/SMA Index: 8.90                         C/D Index: 7.61
 *****WINNER***** 0.532  8.503 -0.397 E1                  0.525 23.246 15.636

Two "heavy hitters" matched up in the first round...and Kent's dragster shook violently on the launch, then started coasting. Still no upset.

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  34 Bill Morse          8.477 -0.403 Q    9 Brian Self          7.531 -0.569
      C/EA Index: 8.88                         PST Index: 8.10
                  0.483  8.561 -0.319 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.557  7.844 -0.256

Morse was in as second-alternate.

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
   5 Mike Trumble        8.164 -0.586 Q   21 Dean Howerton       7.079 -0.531
     A/SMA Index: 8.75                         C/D Index: 7.61
 *****WINNER***** 0.591  9.689  0.939 E1                  0.483  7.585 -0.025

Trumble saw what happened to Howerton's teammate, Kent, and made a last-minute lane swap to put Howerton in the same lane where Kent shook so hard. Howerton didn't shake, but went red and we still haven't had an upset.

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  20 Bob Haynes          7.478 -0.532 Q    4 Buddy Nickens       8.558 -0.592
      C/ED Index: 8.01                        B/TA Index: 9.15
                  0.557  7.556 -0.454 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.548  8.610 -0.540

Nickens has been having some driving problems lately, but he did a pretty good job here, taking a bit too much win stripe, however, for a 0.04 CIC.

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  11 Joe Shalkowski      8.428 -0.562 Q   27 Chris McGaha        7.609 -0.491
      F/ED Index: 8.99                         PST Index: 8.10
 *****WINNER***** 0.701  8.473 -0.517 E1                  0.606  7.691 -0.409

Shalkowski took the left lane, not usually the lane of choice. He made it work, despite a late launch. MOV: 0.0131 seconds (approximately 3 feet). Shalkowski earned a 0.01 CIC for being tardy. McGaha's truck left a bunch of fuel on the launch pad. Still no upsets...

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
   7 David Rampy         7.233 -0.577 Q   23 Al Bresch           9.028 -0.522
      B/AA Index: 7.81                        F/SM Index: 9.55
 *****WINNER***** 0.533  7.445 -0.365 E1                  0.655  9.076 -0.474

Rampy took the left lane after seeing the fuel spill. He had an easy time of it...MOV: 0.0131 seconds (approximately 3 feet).

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
   3 Robert Freeman      7.465 -0.605 Q   19 Bill Gibbs          9.347 -0.533
       C/A Index: 8.07                         L/A Index: 9.88
                  0.337  8.512  0.442 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.565  9.360 -0.520

Our first upset - Freeman also made a last-minute lane swap, but wasted it.

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  26 Rob Slavinski       7.318 -0.492 Q   10 Doug Engels         7.448 -0.562
      B/AA Index: 7.81                        D/ED Index: 8.01
 *****WINNER***** 0.602  7.315 -0.495 E1                  0.550  7.908 -0.102

Slavinski pulls off an upset despite a late launch, Engels spinning the tires and getting out of the groove.

Next round it's Weiss vs Self, Trumble vs Manichia, Gibbs vs Shalkowski, Rampy vs Tidwell, Taylor vs Slavinski, Dodd vs Williams, Nickens vs Watson, and Brogdon vs Saye.