Sat, 26 Jul 2014, 20:16 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Gerard

SONOMA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 27th annual NHRA Sonoma 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: John Hale No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.459/107.72, Was #18
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.416/89.29, Was #17

4:30 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 29.85 inches, adjusted altitude 2,129 feet, track temperature 119 degrees.

Courtney Force is number one at 4.045 and Peter Russo is on the bump spot at 6.248.

Neither car is in the field yet.

Diehl starts to drop cylinders right off the line and then has the parachutes open. Backfire?

Hale get way down track before his engine starts to get unhappy. There are dropped cylinders, a flash from the blower, and a little fire from underneath the body.

There were no time on the scoreboard or on our computer feed, so it's a timing problem.

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Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.214/292.33, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.349/150.72, Was #15

Wilkerson makes a safe pass to ensure a place in the field and move two spots up the ladder to number 13.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.909 sec., 330ft-2.354, 660ft-3.378/249.16 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.156/306.05, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.098/312.57, Was #8
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.321/285.29, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.713/259.66, Was #15

Densham had a nice 4.480 yesterday, but his first pass today just got him into the field. He tunes it up for the final session and runs better than yesterday. He'll stay 15th.

Worsham makes another strong pass for the conditions, just a tad slower than earlier to day. Nice!

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.360, 660ft-3.354/259.11 mph.
Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.419, 660ft-3.463/243.50 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.140/304.60, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.093/314.61, Was #7
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.147/302.01, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.158/300.93, Was #11

Tune 'em up! The best times of the session, so far!

Johnson gets a starting line advantage and runs right with Capps side by side to the lights, getting there first.

Capps ran just 0.007 seconds quicker and they will both keep their current positions.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.331/255.92 mph.
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.343, 660ft-3.339/258.76 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.161/296.11, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.088/310.48, Was #6
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.203/301.74, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.129/307.37, Was #10

DeJoria picks up the pace from session three to stay #10.

Hight was powering down the track and slowed a little near the lights to stay #6.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.883 sec., 330ft-2.319, 660ft-3.333/252.28 mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.379, 660ft-3.390/255.24 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.272/240.68, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.075/307.30, Was #5
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.206/302.01, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.125/309.98, Was #9

Hagan uses a lot of track getting to the finish line. Good numbers early and then a drop cylinder pushes the car around and he slows.

Tasca gets a full pass this time and will stay #9.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.332, 660ft-3.346/248.84 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.381, 660ft-3.396/255.97 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.193/294.75, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.075/314.83, Was #4
Right Lane: John Force Runs 5.172/144.49, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.070/313.73, Was #3

Beckman picks up a bunch from today's first session on a clean and straight pass.

Force was strong until after the 330 lights and then spun the tires and slowed.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.335, 660ft-3.360/248.34 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.332, 660ft-3.646/164.17 mph.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 5.806/119.73, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.045/319.22, Was #1
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.166/299.20, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.051/311.92, Was #2

Force's Mustang was away first [red light] and very strong down low. The track won't hold the power and she is done right at the 330 lights.

Pedregon has the tuneup and powers on down the track on a clean pass.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.355, 660ft-3.352/257.28 mph.

4:57 p.m. Peter Russo is on the bump spot at 6.248.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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