Sat, 22 Jul 2006, 04:17 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Michael L. Jex

KENT, Wash. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals presented by Lucas Oil 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: Terry Haddock Runs 5.489/219.19, Now #17; Best prior run: 8.744/116.04, Was #17
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.970/306.74, Now #10; Best prior run: 8.906/92.84, Was #18

Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 66 percent, barometer 29.90 inches, adjusted altitude 1,656 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Robert Hight is currently on the bump, but that won't last...

Bartone's blast is for the full 1320 feet, Haddock blew up the motor and sent the burst panel in the body sailing about half track. That bumps Hight, Cruz Pedregon is now on the bump spot with a 5.34. We're down for a minute to clear the track of a little debris. 12:35 p.m.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.058/301.00, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.303/231.87, Was #15
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.840/318.17, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.763/176.24, Was #18

From outside the show to the top spot (For now anyway..) Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.321, 660ft-3.314/256.94mph, 1,000ft-4.136

Wilkerson improves, but is still looking for his first four second time slip of the weekend. Bob Gilbertson is now on the bump spot with a 5.128.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 5.311/227.77, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.128/290.32, Was #16
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.925/313.95, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.347/206.07, Was #17

Gilbertson started to haze the tires in the middle of the run, it cost him a spot in the field as Cruzer Bumped him out. Now Tim Wilkerson on the bubble, where he'll remain till the next round.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.975/314.39, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.003/308.85, Was #14
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.872/313.58, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.030/309.42, Was #15

Nice pass for Ashley, right down the groove, he did a great job driving thru a couple of wiggles.

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Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 10.186/86.03, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.988/304.39, Was #15

Whit Bazemore was scheduled to run with Kalitta, no word yet why they elected to skip this session of qualifying. Scott is sporting longtime associate sponsor Fischer Honda on the broad side of his Funny Car this weekend.

It was a short 2 second blast of nitro sound - Kalitta lifted after a lot of tire shake.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.948/311.41, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.945/309.20, Was #9
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.864/313.00, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.968/310.48, Was #12

Scelzi slowed a little from last night, Capps improved a bunch. Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.892 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.322/254.28mph, 1,000ft-4.150

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 8.591/92.93, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.934/310.77, Was #9
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.931/308.85, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.947/311.63, Was #11

Densham struck then smoked the tires not far off the starting line, TJ went .918 to the 60-foot mark and held on to move up a couple of spots.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.033/287.96, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.929/310.27, Was #8
Right Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 4.854/312.64, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.903/310.84, Was #6

Tony's run got warm when a fire flashed to a start right at the finish line, the flash was clearly visible from the top end cameras. Tony lit up the water bottles and knocked the fire down - Pedregon's hoping their new Quaker State body wasn't damaged.

Medlen had a couple of cylinders start to mix things up near the finish. 1:03 p.m.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.978/307.30, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.903/316.52, Was #6
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.987/300.00, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.898/316.75, Was #5

Both runs were silky smooth and right down the middle of the lane, but neither were quick enough to bump Robert Hight off the top of the Fuel Funny Car heap.

The final session is scheduled for 3:00 PDT - should be interesting indeed. 1:12 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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