Sat, 06 Apr 2013, 20:29 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Bob Orme

LAS VEGAS - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 14th annual SummitRacing.com 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: Jon Capps Runs 5.066/207.34, Now #17; Best prior run: 12.098/74.73, Was #20
Right Lane: Josh Crawford Runs 7.455/98.69, Now #20; Best prior run: 8.487/85.18, Was #19

3:50 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 27.70 inches, adjusted altitude 4,546 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Crawford was all over his lane. He almost hit the wall and he almost crossed the centerline, all before the 660-foot mark. He left oil on the track from the 60-foot mark through about 600 feet past the finish line. Capps blew up his engine at about 800 feet.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.363/232.23, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.148/88.96, Was #19
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.964/117.29, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.195/293.03, Was #14

4:42 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 27.69 inches, adjusted altitude 4,481 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Pedregon lost traction at about 250 feet. Arend was to the left of the groove and close to the wall on the top end of the track.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 5.007/228.46, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.682/100.51, Was #19
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 5.779/118.72, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.183/267.16, Was #13

Head struck the tires just before the 330-foot mark. Diehl's engine was laboring all of the way down the track.

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Left Lane: Todd Lesenko Runs 5.464/141.58, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.432/264.44, Was #17

Lesenko moved to the right at about 100 feet. He pedaled it, and his engine went silent after he banged the blower at about 400 feet.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 10.501/86.45, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.225/287.78, Was #15
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 6.718/94.40, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.165/307.09, Was #11

Wilkerson smoked the tires almost immediately and Tasca did the same at about 200 feet.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.095/306.05, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.158/297.16, Was #10
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.840/166.76, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.148/299.66, Was #9

Worsham hazed the tires at the 660-foot mark. A very good looking pass for Beckman.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.301/262.44 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.114/306.05, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.113/307.72, Was #5
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.141/308.28, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.148/309.27, Was #9

Both cars make a full pull!

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.325, 660ft-3.315/259.16 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.366, 660ft-3.348/263.10 mph.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.096/308.71, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.107/309.42, Was #4
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 5.929/114.77, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.138/299.60, Was #8

DeJoria lost traction at about 250 feet. She was almost sideways at 600 feet. A trouble-free pass for Gray.

Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.344, 660ft-3.311/266.37 mph.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.110/311.85, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.068/315.86, Was #2
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.909/162.67, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.133/302.55, Was #7

Capps dropped a cylinder at the 330-foot mark. His car made a move toward the centerline and he clicked it off. Force was wiggling around at the finish.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.354, 660ft-3.329/265.38 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.093/309.84, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.053/315.19, Was #1
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.802/167.72, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.115/306.53, Was #6

Hagan overpowered the track at about 500 feet. No problems for Hight.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.329, 660ft-3.307/263.87 mph.

5:24 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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