GAINESVILLE - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

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Fri, 15 Mar 2013, 17:11 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Michael L. Jex

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals 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:

Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.691/195.08, Now #12; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.204/302.35, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.094/86.19, Was #15

4:35 p.m. The track temp is now the warmest we've seen all day - The middle of the track proved tricky for Top Fuel earlier - getting through the transition may be key in this session.

Lee's run looked quicker than that - he was going 233.mph at the halfway point, then lifted at the top end of the track. Nice lap for Tasca to move into the top 12.

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.117/308.21, Now #2; Best prior run: 7.892/76.70, Was #18
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.826/165.78, Now #14; Best prior run: 7.054/84.68, Was #16

Hight got to Gainesville at 1 O'clock this morning, after having to wait at the airport in LA...

Hight's Mustang was on a string right down the middle of the groove. Courtney carded a ..908 60-foot time, then had to lift after losing traction in the middle of her run. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.342, 660ft-3.325/263.72 mph.

Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.071/313.22, Now #2; Best prior run: 7.761/77.06, Was #18
Right Lane: John Force Runs 6.913/97.91, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.577/101.51, Was #16

Force smoked the tires once again - Gray looked very impressive, the motor sounded very strong all the way to the stripe. Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.324, 660ft-3.289/266.79 mph.

Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 12.039/63.33, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.736/112.71, Was #18
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 6.739/95.21, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.475/100.24, Was #16

Ron Capps is currently 12th with a 4.589...

Creasy lit up the rear tires right off the starting line, Arend lost traction just a second later in the other lane.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.115/304.94, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.589/176.01, Was #12
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 6.566/97.99, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.597/182.75, Was #13

Head lost traction in about the same place as many others in the right lane - Capps first full pull moves into the 3rd spot - Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.316/261.12 mph.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.110/309.98, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.191/296.31, Was #10
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 10.272/92.37, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.469/217.42, Was #12

Alexander moved less than 3 feet before lighting up the rear tires. Worsham blasted past Capps number to lay claim to the 3rd spot in the ladder. Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.348, 660ft-3.321/266.06 mph.

Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.533/192.08, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.162/274.83, Was #10
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.144/286.62, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.122/302.55, Was #7

Pedregon drifted over toward the centerline, Beckman made a hard move to the left, and ended up right at the line at about the 500 foot mark, but managed to grab enough right steering to stay in his lane.

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.114/302.89, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.140/296.24, Was #9
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 5.422/130.96, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.121/306.53, Was #6

Alexis dropped a cylinder on the right side, then the motor let go just past the halfway point. She came to a stop just a little way past the finish line, and climbed up out of the car on her own. The safety safari was there quickly to get the small fire out. Hagan runs the 4th 4.11 of the session.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 7.900/87.49, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.139/302.21, Was #9
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.047/296.05, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.059/305.49, Was #1

5:14 p.m. Cruz showed the rest of the field we have a two lane track - he runs the quickest ET of the day. Wilkerson lost traction early. Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.276, 660ft-3.245/265.85 mph. 5:18 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink