Maybe this will help: Someone beats you out of the hole and you start to reel him in slowly. Too slowly, he beats you to the end of the 1/4 mile. At that point you are going faster than he is because you are reeling him in, but the race ends before you can pass him. So he has a faster time, but you have a faster trap speed. Or vice versa, as in your situation.
That's the whole concept behind the ricer fly-by.
