Sat, 20 Sep 2008, 05:38 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals 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: Mike Neff Runs 6.119/108.99, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.270/244.12, Was #16

4:04 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.45 inches, adjusted altitude 3,378 feet, track temperature 121 degrees.

Neff got about 200 feet out and struck the tires. he is on the bump and can just sit and wait to see if he stays in the show.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.330/263.72, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.262/278.86, Was #15
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.198/290.13, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.334/181.57, Was #19

Head makes his best pass of the weekend and gets in the show, bumping out Neff. Bartone was on a decent pass but started hazing the tires near the end of the run.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.195/294.31, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.126/300.13, Was #12
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.660/192.36, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.060/201.97, Was #19

Johnson was on a decent pass then goes up in smoke about 600 feet out. Toliver makes a clean pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.177/292.08, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.123/299.73, Was #11
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.195/291.95, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.478/272.23, Was #18

Scelzi finally gets it together, no traction problems, hitting on all cylinders all the way through the run. He gets in the show bumping out Bartone in the process. Capps makes a solid run, the quickest of the round so far.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.207/277.83, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.120/299.00, Was #10
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.186/292.84, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.206/290.82, Was #16

A couple of good looking runs, both right down the groove. Tasca makes his quickest pass of the weekend and gets off the bump. Pedregon doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.179/300.60, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.113/303.71, Was #9

Arend makes a pretty impressive run here in the heat, the second quickest of the round so far.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.191/291.95, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.110/300.20, Was #8
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.165/296.63, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.109/301.33, Was #7

Force makes a great run for the conditions, right down the groove, the quickest of the round so far.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.188/298.73, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.099/299.66, Was #6
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.218/289.51, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.099/300.00, Was #5

Two more good passes for the conditions.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.166/298.07, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.096/304.67, Was #4
Right Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.700/174.23, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.092/304.46, Was #2

Troxel makes a great pass here, second only to John Force this session. Ashley Force was on a good run, then goes up in smoke about 600 feet out and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.178/293.03, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.092/303.03, Was #3
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.193/283.07, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.063/301.81, Was #1

Worsham and Hight make a couple of solid runs to put an end to another good session of qualifying. Hight will start on the pole and will take on head in the first round. Other match-ups include John Force taking on Tony Pedregon and Wilkerson taking on Capps.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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