Sat, 2 Oct 2004, 01:05 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

JOLIET, Ill. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying without Jeg's Allstar in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts 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: Danny Townsend Runs 5.733/257.04, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.670/255.97, Was #5
Right Lane: Kirk Williams Runs 5.835/251.86, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.823/252.43, Was #13

Weather conditions: air temperature 52 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 29.53 inches, adjusted altitude 76 feet, track temperature 52 degrees.

Well if the dragsters were any indication this should be a great session.

Williams was real loose right off the starting line, but got it straighted out, but will not improve. Towsend with another good looking pass, but will not improve.

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Left Lane: John Patton Runs 5.811/250.51, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.866/249.39, Was #18
Right Lane: Vern Moats Runs 5.802/244.29, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.735/248.93, Was #10

The quickest field ever was a bump of 5.742 seconds at the 2003 AAA of California Finals. Patton was skating all around and got real close to the centerline, but reeled it in to get in the show. That will bump out Jones. Moats was was loose and had a big puff of smoke.

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Left Lane: Bruce Carlson Runs 6.170/224.96, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.539/216.69, Was #21
Right Lane: Steve Addleman Runs 5.906/251.81, Now #19; No Prior Run

Addleman continues to struggle as he loses an engine on the top end. Carlson with his best pass of the weekend, but will not move up the ladder.

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Left Lane: Tate Branch Runs 5.692/225.11, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.696/255.15, Was #8
Right Lane: David Kovar Runs 6.165/234.04, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.127/230.88, Was #20

Branch with his best pass of the weekend, but will not improve on the ladder. Kovar with some tire shake and he will not get into the show.

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Left Lane: Mike Bell Runs 5.654/250.46, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.861/244.25, Was #18
Right Lane: Rick Cortino Runs 8.036/116.01, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.404/206.54, Was #22

Bell launch hard and keep it hooked up to run his career quickest E.T., and go from out side of the show up to the number four spot. Cortino was real loose right off the starting line, firs getting real close to the wall and then when he reeled it back in he got real close to the centerline and then clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Shawn Jones Runs 6.648/144.29, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.847/248.80, Was #18
Right Lane: Mick Snyder Runs 5.610/257.83, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.680/253.42, Was #8

Jones shook the tires and clicked it off. Snyder with a great looking pass to go to the top of the list with his career best E.T. and mph.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 5.574/259.16, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.702/254.76, Was #10
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.956/250.64, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.794/251.53, Was #12

Lee with his career best E.T. and mph to take away the number one spot. Hool with another good pass, but will not improve.

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Left Lane: Marc White Runs 10.731/71.08, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.635/255.92, Was #4
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.754/254.04, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.847/249.49, Was #17

White with some tire shake and clicked it off. Gasparrelli with his last ditch effort here and he makes a good pass to get in the show. This will wrap up regular qualifying, but we still have the Jeg's Allstars to run and that will count toward qualifying. Doug Gordon and Jay Payne are the only two of the Allstars that are not in the show.

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Left Lane: Cy Chesterman Runs 6.198/164.93, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.671/252.33, Was #15
Right Lane: Chuck Cheeseman Runs 7.152/137.74, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.808/246.08, Was #26

Chesterman made a quick move toward the centerline and then around banged the blower sending the presure relief panel flying into the air. Cheeseman shook the tires early and then clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Bob Newberry Runs 5.636/255.92, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.647/254.52, Was #3
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.536/260.16, Now #1; Best prior run: 8.990/97.98, Was #22

Payne was little loose right off the starting line, but then got it to hook up and went straight to the number one spot. Newberry with his best pass of the weekend and he will be number six going into eliminations.

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Left Lane: Bucky Austin Runs 5.601/256.06, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.655/258.71, Was #8
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.741/249.53, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.825/247.84, Was #18

Austin was out of the groove and headed toward the centerline, but was able to reel it in and he moves up the ladder. Gordon with a nice pass to get into the show, and that will bump out Patton.

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Left Lane: Jackie Stidham Runs 9.680/120.29, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.628/255.63, Was #5

Stidham with the bye in the Allstars and he must bbe content with his position on the qualifying ladder because he just idles through the quarter mile.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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