LODRS 3-2 - Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

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Fri, 18 May 2007, 08:06 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, North Central Division, Cavalcade of Stars at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Presented by Budweiser and The Ohio Lottery listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

Left Lane: Chuck Cheeseman Runs 8.175/93.58, Now #2
Right Lane: Daniel Wilkerson Runs 6.968/146.43, Now #1

7:12 p.m. Wilkerson's car looks like...well, it looks like Tim Wilkerson's "Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc." car.

Cheeseman shook first and pedaled before slowing, then Wilkerson shook well into the run and slowed around half track.

Left Lane: Rob Atchison Runs 10.553/86.24, Now #4
Right Lane: Fred Hagen Runs 5.949/213.98, Now #1

Hagen's car is listed as an '07 Mustang on the announcer's screen, but it sure looks like his old '01 Avenger body. Not sure if Atchison is running a screw blower or not, will try to check before tomorrow.

More of the shake and coast stuff, this time in Atchison's lane. Hagen appeared to be on a full pass, slowed on the top end.

Left Lane: John Bojec Runs 12.258/72.94, Now #6
Right Lane: Marty Nothstein Runs 5.868/251.72, Now #1

Nothstein appears to be getting a handle on driving one of these tricky floppers, doing a good job of pedaling an out-of-shape car to keep it off the wall and off the centerline, salvaging a pretty good result out of a bad start. Bojec spun the tires hard, then shook and coasted through.

Left Lane: Bobby Martin Runs 6.098/243.59, Now #3
Right Lane: Mick Snyder Runs 10.301/81.55, Now #6

Both cars shook early. Snyder threw in the towel. Martin, in his '07 Charger, pedaled and finished the run to get in above the line - for now.

Left Lane: Andy Bohl Runs 6.536/243.15, Now #5
Right Lane: John Foster Runs 5.727/249.81, Now #1

Bohl's car is also listed as an '07 Mustang and this one has a clearly-visible Mustang-stlye depression in the door and front fender.
Both cars had problems early, both drivers tried to salvage the run and things got nasty beyond the finish line. >From here, it was difficult to see what happened - Bohl's car was well behind, but was out of shape and didn't have the the chutes out. Foster was well ahead, but with the chutes chutes out and from here it appeared there was a collision in the shutdown area. Foster's car stopped halfway down the shutdown area after bouncing off the right wall. Bohl's car continued further down the track and may have hit the left wall before stopping.

Reports from the top end confirmed contact between the cars and from here we can clearly see damage to the front of Foster's car. Both drivers were reported to be out of their cars and responding to medical personnel. Both cars sustained heavy damage.

Left Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 5.671/260.36, Now #1
Right Lane: Jeff Wilson Runs 7.542/163.43, Now #8

7:59 p.m. These two staged, but the tree hung and they backed out quickly while it was reset. The second try worked and Manzo went to the head of the class - as usual. Wilson's car was very sluggish early in the run and he shut it off just past half track.

Left Lane: Ray Drew Runs 6.248/197.48, Now #6
Right Lane: Todd Veney Runs 6.402/168.47, Now #7

Last pair. Veney's run looked good early, but he ran out of steam around half track. Drew's car was slow early and he also shut off well before the stripe.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink