Sat, 16 Aug 2014, 15:44 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Larry Sullivan

BRAINERD, Minn. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 33rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA 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: Brian Stewart Runs 5.850/176.77, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 11.913/45.76, Now #14; No Prior Run

2:07 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 28.56 inches, adjusted altitude 4,121 feet, track temperature 116 degrees.

Both cars shook, then smoked the tires. Stewart got back in the throttle, trying to get a time good enough to keep from being in the bottom two spots - there are 18 cars and 16 spots in the field, so two will not be in the field tomorrow.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 7.038/88.33, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.157/304.53, Was #9
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.170/300.86, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.203/275.62, Was #12

These two are already in the field, but made bad runs in the second session yesterday.

Wilkerson black-tracked for about 200 feet, then lost traction. TJ made a nice-looking full pass, picked up a bit and moved one rung up the ladder.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 5.427/135.13, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.193/304.53, Now #12; No Prior Run

Bode got about to the 330-foot marker, then the rear of the car jumped up and started shaking. Worsham made a full pass with no visible problems.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.381, 660ft-3.387/257.87 mph.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.597/217.14, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.419/231.56, Now #14; No Prior Run

Arend went oh-for-two yesterday, not a nice "welcome back" for car owner Jim Dunn.

Both cars got almost to the 660-foot speed trap, then both hazed the tires. Both drivers pedaled and finished their run.

The bump spot is Bob Bode's 5.427 and that's where they will start for the final session today because the remaining cars are already qualified higher than that. Stewart and Creasy are the two still on the outside.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 6.573/107.18, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.198/301.74, Was #13
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.168/307.23, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.162/306.46, Was #10

DeJoria shook and smoked the tires early in the run. Capps made a nice-looking pass, quickest of the session so far.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.363, 660ft-3.367/258.37 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.447/211.00, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.151/305.70, Was #7
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.511/198.29, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.154/303.37, Was #8

These two were side-by-side all the way, both got past the 660-foot speed trap, then both hazed the tires and slowed.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.359, 660ft-3.400/233.60 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.357, 660ft-3.397/225.22 mph.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 7.984/75.84, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.138/310.27, Was #5
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.165/281.01, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.138/308.21, Was #6

Force smoked the tires about 200 feet out. There was a flash from Hagan's car as he neared the stripe after running good numbers past the 660-foot timers. In fact, he had the best 660-foot run of the session so far.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.350, 660ft-3.347/259.46 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.293/238.76, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.099/311.77, Was #3

Tony Pedregon was scheduled to run beside Force, but he's on a tight budget and already fourth in the order.

Force also got past the 660-foot mark with pretty good numbers, but he also started hazing the tires just about at the 660-foot marker.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.332, 660ft-3.350/240.21 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.227/293.54, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.093/308.21, Was #2
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.776/171.62, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.085/313.29, Was #1

Last pair. They ran just thousandths apart yesterday to sit in the top two spots coming into this session and they are still there.

Hight led for 400 feet, then hazed the tires and Pedregon went past him, but was off-pace on the top end.

With one session left, Hight stays #1 at 4.085 and Bob Bode is #16 at 5.427.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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