NHRA : Results from Summit Racing Equipment Nationals

12:10 p.m. – Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 35 percent, barometer 29.09 inches, adjusted altitude 2,701 feet, track temperature 96 degrees. This is the first time Berry and Reed have faced each other in eliminations. This is the third race of the season for Berry. The last time he started in the top half of the field was at the Charlotte 4-wide in 2014. It’s Reed’s best start since Dallas in 2016. Neither rider has ever won a national event. Berry was first off the starting line and stayed in front the whole way down the track for the win.

Pollacheck is 2 – 1 against Sampey in prior events. Pollacheck qualified number five at Englishtown two weeks ago. Sampey qualified number 12 for that race and they faced each other in the opening round. Pollacheck won that race. Sampey lit the red light so Pollacheck got the win this time and will move on.

Surber is 1 – 0 against Tonglet in prior events. Tonglet has now qualified number two or better in three consecutive races. He was the number one qualifier at Englishtown two weeks ago. Surber is making her third start of the year. She is still looking for her first round win at an NHRA national event. Surber launched her motorcycle and got about 60 feet out when it lurched forward and slowed. Tonglet had a good ride to take the win.

Ellis qualified number seven at Englishtown two weeks ago and lost in the first round. His last win was at the second race in Charlotte last year. Johnson is making his best start since the first race of the season in Gainesville. Ellis is 12 – 8 against Johnson in prior events. Johnson got the win here on a holeshot. He’ll race Tonglet in the next round and Tonglet will have lane choice.

This is Gladstone’s 11th NHRA national event and the 10th time he has qualified for eliminations. Krawiec won here last year. This is his worst qualifying position since Chicago in 2013. Krawiec is 2 – 0 against Gladstone in prior events. Krawiec was quicker off the starting line but Gladstone powered by him for the win. Gladstone got the win and will have lane choice over Pollacheck in round two.

Hines was runner-up at Gainesville earlier this year. His last win was at Indianapolis in 2016. Angie Smith made it to the semi-finals at Englishtown two weeks ago before she lost to Jerry Savoie there. Hines is 15 – 4 against Smith in prior events. Smith’s motorcycle shut down at the end of her burnout and she restarted it. As she staged the bike, it died again and the rules do not permit a second restart. Hines had a solo run into the second round.

Arana Jr is 5 – 0 against Stoffer in prior events. Arana was runner-up at the last race in Englishtown. Jerry Savoie won that race but decided not to come here this weekend because bad weather in Louisiana posed a threat to his alligator farm. Arana’s last win was at St. Louis in 2015. The last time Stoffer won an NHRA national event was here at Norwalk in 2015. Stoffer was quicker off the starting line and led the race at 660 feet. But then Arana powered by her to take the win and earn lane choice over Hines in the next round.

This is Matt Smith’s first number one start of the season. He failed to qualify for the last race at Englishtown. This is DeSantis’s fourth race of the year and the first time he made the field for eliminations. Smith and DeSantis have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. DeSantis left way too soon and lit the red light. Smith went down the groove for the win and lane choice over Berry next time.

1:51 p.m. – Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 29.10 inches, adjusted altitude 2,817 feet, track temperature 117 degrees. This is the first time Pollacheck and Gladstone have faced each other in eliminations. Pollacheck was quicker out of the gate but by the time he reached 330 feet, he had fallen behind. Between 330 and 660 feet, Pollacheck got back in front of Gladstone and pulled ahead to take the win.

Hines got out of the gate well in front of Arana and led the race at mid track. After that, Arana got by Hines to take the lead and the win.

Tonglet is 10 – 4 against Johnson in prior events. This race belonged to Tonglet from start to finish. He’ll have lane choice over Arana in the third round.

Smith is 10 – 2 against Berry in prior events. Smith had the advantage at the starting line and the advantage on the track to take the win. He’ll have lane choice over Pollacheck in the third round.

3:20 p.m. – Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 29.10 inches, adjusted altitude 3,291 feet, track temperature 116 degrees. Smith had a perfect triple-zero reaction time. He stayed in front the entire way down the track and will be in the final round.

Tonglet was first out of the gate and held on for the win. He’ll race Smith in the final round.

4:26 p.m. – Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 29.10 inches, adjusted altitude 2,540 feet, track temperature 110 degrees. Tonglet is 11 – 9 against Smith in prior events and each has won 1 times against the other in final rounds. Tonglet was 0.001 seconds quicker getting off the starting line and pulled away from Smith on the track to take the win. This was Tonglet’s third final round of the season and his third win of the season. It was also his 13th career win.

Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 28.97 inches, adjusted altitude 3,326 feet, track temperature 124 degrees. At the start of the final qualifying session, Odolph Daniels and Melissa Surber were the two riders who were not in the field of 16 for eliminations tomorrow. Ray was on the bump spot. As the session was about to start, we got word that Daniels would not be making a fourth session run because the engine on his motorcycle is broken. Ray launched and his motorcycle was good to about 60 feet. Then it started to move toward the wall so Ray had to back off the throttle. That leaves Ray on the bump spot with Surber waiting for her final attempt to make the field.

In her three prior attempts, Surber has not been able to take her motorcycle down the track in a straight line. In her last chance, she got the ride she needed and put herself into the 15th spot in the order for now, bumping Michael Ray from the field.

Stoffer had her best ride of the four qualifying sessions but it was not quick enough to move her up in the qualifying order. DeSantis’ run looked fine but was not good enough to get him out of the number 16 spot.

Krawiec missed the first session when his motorcycle stalled and would not restart. This time, he had his quickest run of the three sessions even though his motorcycle drifted left toward the wall. He moved up one spot in the order but is still in the bottom half of the field. Johnson’s run let him move up four spots but he is also in the bottom half of the order.

Two clean rides that had no effect on the qualifying order.

Berry drifted left and out of the groove. He’ll stay where he was in the order. Ellis went down his lane but did not move up in the order.

Both riders had good looking runs but neither moved up in the order.

Neither rider was as quick as he was in the third session and neither moved in the qualifying order.

These two riders were almost side-by-side the whole way down the track. Neither changed his spot in the qualifying order. Smith stayed in the top spot, Tonglet is number two.

Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 28.94 inches, adjusted altitude 3,655 feet, track temperature 102 degrees. At the start of this session, Michael Ray and Melissa Surber were the two riders not in the field. This time, Gladstone had his best run of the weekend so far to move up eight spots in the order. Ray had his best run so far to grab the number 16 spot in the order.

Surber had her first session run DQ’ed yesterday when she crossed the center line. This time, her motorcycle pulled to the center line again. She managed to keep from crossing over but had to get off the throttle as she did. Her ride was not quick enough to make the field and she’ll have one more chance. Smith took her motorcycle down the track and moved up two spots in the order.

Stoffer moved up two spots with a clean run down the groove.

Berry ran close to the center line but managed to move up eight spots in the order with this ride. DeSantis had his quickest of the three sessions so far but did not move up in the order.

Both rides looked okay but neither were as quick as yesterday. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 28.96 inches, adjusted altitude 3,065 feet, track temperature 115 degrees.

Both rides looked okay but neither was quick enough to change their place in the order.

Hines moved up three spots with this ride, Ellis moved up one spot in the order.

Arana had his best run of the weekend so far to move into the number two spot for now. Pollacheck was not as quick as last night so he will stay where he was in the order.

Both riders had good trips down the quarter mile. Tonglet moved up from three to two in the order. Smith had his quickest ride of the weekend but because he was already number one, he had nowhere to go.

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 74 percent, barometer 28.71 inches, adjusted altitude 3,343 feet, track temperature 85 degrees. Surber launched and her motorcycle made a big move to the right. She got off the throttle and coasted near the wall. Krawiec did not get his motorcycle started in the first session. This time, he got himself into the middle of the field with this run down his lane.

Both riders launched okay but both slowed before they reached mid track.

Both riders went straight down the groove to make the field for now.

Smith got to mid track and the motorcycle sounded like it did not shift and it slowed. Pollacheck had a good run that moved him up eight spots in the order.

When Gladstone let out the clutch at the starting line, his motorcycle hopped two times, getting both wheels off the ground on the second bump. He got off the throttle and coasted down the track. Stoffer had a clean run but was not as quick as the first session.

Hines moved up one spot in the order with a good ride down the track. Johnson’s ride looked okay but had no effect on his place in the order.

Both rides looked okay but neither had an effect on the order. Sampey’s motorcycle appeared to slow at the end of the track.

Both rides looked good but neither was as quick as the first session.

Both riders had good rides down the track. Smith was quicker than his first session time but since he was already first in the order, he could not move up. Tonglet moved up two spots in the order.

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 72 percent, barometer 28.70 inches, adjusted altitude 3,593 feet, track temperature 85 degrees. Both riders launched and neither had a particularly quick trip down the track. Daniels got off the throttle before he crossed the finish line.

DeSantis’ motorcycle launched okay but then drifted toward the center line. He had to get off the throttle to keep from crossing over. Berry took his motorcycle down the groove.

Reed took his motorcycle straight down the groove to take the top spot in the order for now. It’s a good thing he had a quick ride because Surber’s motorcycle drifted to the right and crossed the center line before she reached the finish line. She crossed the finish line behind Reed and did not get a time.

Both riders went down the groove. Smith took the top spot in the order for now, Ellis took over the third spot for now.

Sampey and Smith had a pair of straight rides.

Both riders went straight down their lanes. Stoffer’s motorcycle looked better on the first half of the track and Johnson’s looked better on the second half.

Arana took over the number two spot in the order for now with a clean ride down the groove. Gladstone had a good ride too that put him in the top half of the order.

Hines and Pollacheck had clean rides down the track to get themselves in the order.

Krawiec did his burnout but his motorcycle shut down and he could not get it started again.