Fri, 25 Oct 2013, 20:50 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 13th annual NHRA Toyota 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: Josh Crawford Runs 4.432/260.91, Now #11; Best prior run: 14.120/39.30, Was #21

5:06 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 27.91 inches, adjusted altitude 4,587 feet.

Crawford goes through with a full pass and gets in the field for now.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 5.012/254.33, Now #17; Best prior run: 7.278/83.26, Was #21
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.589/206.23, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.435/106.89, Was #20

Tasca loses traction early, pedals once, but doesn't improve enough to get in the show. Diehl started mixing up cylinders, then bangs the blower about 800 feet out. He improves but not quite enough to get in the top twelve.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.340/137.46, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.751/123.86, Was #21
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.123/307.02, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.324/144.69, Was #19

Wilkerson goes right down the groove and gets in the field in the fourth spot for now. Densham improves but doesn't get in the show.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.225/285.47, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.557/123.95, Was #21
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.078/313.00, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.807/168.41, Was #15

Hagan goes right down the groove with the quickest pass of the day and takes the top spot for now. Arend makes his quickest pass of the day and gets in the show in the eighth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.064/316.01, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.194/147.67, Was #20
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.125/308.78, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.496/206.67, Was #15

Pedregon makes an impressive pass and moves into the top spot for now. DeJoria goes right down the groove and gets in the field in the seventh spot for now.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.052/318.24, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.009/160.90, Was #19
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.097/312.86, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.402/212.26, Was #15

Force goes right down the groove, header flames high and steady all the way through the run, and she takes the top spot for now. Capps improves and gets in the show in the fifth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.100/310.70, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.871/166.23, Was #19
Right Lane: Todd Lesenko Runs 4.252/251.86, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.400/271.24, Was #16

Lesenko gets about 600 feet out and the flames turn green signalling an engine problem. The car starts to slow at that point and he doesn't break into the top twelve. Head makes a clean pass and moves into the sixth spot.

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Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.326/275.73, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.318/239.27, Was #16
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.297/292.65, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.399/280.08, Was #17

Haddock improves but not enough to get in the top twelve. Burkart slows from his earlier attempt and drops a spot in the order.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.052/315.56, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.120/307.65, Was #8
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.167/264.86, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.278/238.85, Was #15

Beckman makes an impressive pass, equalling Courtney Force's attempt but will be in second with the slower MPH. Pedregon goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the day to move into the top twelve.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.080/306.46, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.111/312.50, Was #8
Right Lane: Johnny Gray No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.210/301.20, Was #13

Gray got out of the groove early, started drifting to the left, then took out the cones at the end of the track. Worsham went right down the groove, improving on his first attempt and moves into the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 7.803/89.74, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.085/308.99, Was #6
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.214/242.19, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.137/311.85, Was #11

Force loses traction quickly and has to back off the throttle. Hight was on a decent pass but gets about 700 feet out and strikes the tires.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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