Fri, 11 Oct 2002, 06:45 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 17th annual O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec 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:

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Left Lane: Steve Burck Runs 6.588/185.72, Now #18; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Mert Littlefield Runs 5.767/243.83, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.860/235.41, Was #10

4:59 PM Good looking run for Littlefield. He improves from his earlier run and moves up five spots to fifth. Burck went right down the groove but doesn't get in the show.

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Left Lane: Kirk Williams Runs 5.967/246.10, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.768/251.25, Was #6
Right Lane: Dennis Taylor Runs 11.367/70.46, Now #21; Best prior run: 9.043/86.46, Was #21

Taylor gets about 100 feet out, starts shaking the tires and shuts down. Williams starts shaking the tires about 100 feet out, pedals once and goes on through for a decent run.

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Left Lane: Thomas Frickenschmidt Runs 6.172/231.12, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.165/228.94, Was #17
Right Lane: Marc White Runs 5.797/244.96, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.749/249.58, Was #4

A couple of clean runs but neither driver improves.

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Left Lane: Tate Branch Runs 5.810/224.10, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.776/246.64, Was #7
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 6.209/172.64, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.671/254.02, Was #2

Gasparrelli gets out of the groove just past half-track and pulls the chutes early. Branch was moving around all the way through the run and slows from his earlier attempt.

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Left Lane: Jimmy Jones Runs 6.116/239.55, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.986/241.80, Was #12
Right Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 13.840/57.34, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.028/244.83, Was #14

Rupert blows the tires off at the hit and shuts down.

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Left Lane: Cy Chesterman Runs 5.790/249.30, Now #9; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jackie Stidham Runs 5.760/248.20, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.800/246.91, Was #8

Two good looking runs, Stidham just moving around a little on the top end. Chesterman gets in the field at the ninth spot and Stidham jumps up to fifth.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.845/251.25, Now #12; Best prior run: 8.910/100.32, Was #21
Right Lane: John Patton Runs 5.778/248.27, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.847/248.41, Was #11

Payne gets out of the groove early, makes a move toward the wall but never lifts and gets in the field in the 12th spot. Patton makes a big improvement and jumps up to ninth.

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Right Lane: Bob Alberty Runs 6.157/237.46, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.638/230.59, Was #21

Alberty gets out of the groove early, veers toward the center-line but hangs on for a decent pass.

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Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.781/251.11, Now #10; Best prior run: 12.012/67.61, Was #23

Harker makes a good, clean run and gets in the field.

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Right Lane: Bob Newberry Runs 5.660/253.09, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.716/251.25, Was #3

Newberry makes a good run, right down the groove and moves up a notch to second.

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Right Lane: Vern Moats Runs 5.740/250.06, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.824/233.58, Was #12

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Right Lane: Kebin Kinsley No Time, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.049/231.48, Was #19

Kinsley completes his burnout, gets ready to stage and is told to shut down after they discover some type of fluid on the track..

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink