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Fri, 22 Feb 2013, 17:15 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 5.953/122.64, Now #1
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 10.480/90.82, Now #2

2:33 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 65 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 28.85 inches, adjusted altitude 1,993 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Haddock's Impala smokes the tires right at the green.

Diehl gets about 100 feet and spins the tires too.

Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 15.886/78.64, Now #4
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.499/129.08, Now #1

Arend's car is flying the yellow and black USD, Inc. livery this weekend. He gets out near the 60 foot lights and starts to shake the tires. The engine goes bang right after that and the chutes are out. The car coasts to right after the 1000' lights and stops on the track.

Pedregon's Camry left with a 0.899 sixty foot time, but shakes and smokes right before the 330 lights. There is smoke from the right side of the car, as it coasts on down. but no oil.

Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.355, 660ft-3.800/147.67 mph.

Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.358/278.75, Now #1
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 7.489/85.81, Now #4

Burkhart takes Plueger's Catalyzer Fuel Tech. Impala right on down the track to set the first reasonable ET of the session. Nice!

DeJoria has a good leave and joins the up in smoke group before the 330 lights.

Left Lane: John Force Runs 6.120/109.40, Now #5
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.321/219.58, Now #1

JFR team mates to the line.

Force is second at the green and strikes the tires right off the line.

Hight is on a good pass until just after the 660 lights. The Mustang starts to tail wag and then loses traction. The pipes go wet at the same time. Ouch!

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 7.023/89.33, Now #7
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.140/303.30, Now #1

Worsham makes it look easy with a straight and clean pass right up to the top of the ladder with our first four teen and 300 MPH plus pass.

Wilkerson was off the line first and just a little quicker through sixty feet, but the tires start to shake and spin right after that.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.344, 660ft-3.338/259.06 mph.

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.445/198.15, Now #4
Right Lane: Todd Lesenko Runs 5.092/155.45, Now #5

Beckman's Charger is running the MTS Wounded Warrior scheme this weekend, Looks great!

Both cars are strong off the line and run together to after the 330 lights. Lesenko's Charger starts to lose traction first and then Beckman, right after that.

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.142/293.98, Now #3
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.078/306.40, Now #1

We finally get our first side by side pass of the session and its a good one.

They leave almost together, Hagan getting a small advantage off the line. Pedregon is quickly out in front and pulls slowly ahead going down the track to take over the new top spot. Hagan finishes well too and gets the current number three position.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.315, 660ft-3.316/254.81 mph.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.304, 660ft-3.284/262.23 mph.

Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.280/236.71, Now #5
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.124/301.00, Now #2

Alexis DeJoria is on the bump spot at 7.489.

Gray gets off the line first and powers on down the track to take over the number two spot on a clean pass.

Tasca's Mustang was right with him until near the 1000' lights. The back end made a snap move and kicked the tires loose.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.353, 660ft-3.344/250.04 mph.
Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.345, 660ft-3.318/261.62 mph.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.167/293.15, Now #5
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 8.031/67.64, Now #16

Capps is off the line in front and is making a strong pass to just after the 660 lights. The Charger starts a steady move towards the wall and he just keeps the shiny right in the 1000 foot lights.

Force's Mustang was stronger to about 100 feet out and then strikes the tires.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.344, 660ft-3.353/256.02 mph.

3:03 p.m. Cruz Pedregon is number one at 4.078 and Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 5.953.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink