Fri, 28 Jul 2006, 08:45 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

SONOMA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual FRAM-Autolite 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: Jason Rupert Runs 5.748/254.71, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.823/254.14, Was #13
Right Lane: John Patton Runs 5.788/250.27, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.843/250.13, Was #16

Rupert with a real nice pass and Patton gets off the bubble. Larry Miner is on the bump spot at 5.837.

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Left Lane: Mert Littlefield Runs 5.802/239.82, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.793/250.09, Was #11
Right Lane: Don Hudson Runs 6.472/158.50, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.687/254.52, Was #3

Hudson was on a nice pass and then slowed on the top end. no help here for Littlefield.

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Left Lane: Larry Miner Runs 5.778/251.49, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.837/251.49, Was #16
Right Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 7.847/118.30, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.722/254.14, Was #5

Miner gets off the bubble and Dennis Taylor is on the bump spot at 5.824. no help for Thompson.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.683/261.52, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.726/259.36, Was #6
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.735/250.78, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.794/251.63, Was #13

Payne with a real nice pass to go to the number two spot. Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-1.050 sec., 330ft-2.604, 660ft-3.804/207.59mph, 1,000ft-4.822 Bellemeur with a good pass to move up the ladder four spots.

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Left Lane: Bucky Austin Runs 5.731/253.95, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.810/118.79, Was #20
Right Lane: Ken Kraus Runs 5.873/249.44, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.733/252.80, Was #8

Austin gets into the top half of the show. Bucky Austin's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.548, 660ft-3.792/200.44mph, 1,000ft-4.845 That bumps out Taylor. Jeff Carroll is on the bump spot at 5.819. No help here for Kraus.

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Left Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 16.403/63.36, Now #21; Best prior run: 9.919/106.96, Was #21
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.775/249.76, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.730/250.23, Was #7

Williamson with a lot of tire shake right off the starting line and clicks it off. No help here for Gordon.

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Left Lane: Roger Bateman Runs 5.681/253.85, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.716/254.57, Was #5
Right Lane: Ron August Jr Runs 5.601/258.42, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.799/250.32, Was #15

August with a great looking pass with his quickest and fastest of the season to go to the number one spot. Ron August Jr's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.503, 660ft-3.705/206.29mph, 1,000ft-4.732 Bateman with a nice pass to move up the ladder a couple spots.

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Left Lane: Mike Drake Runs 11.888/70.89, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.886/247.57, Was #18
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.666/258.37, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.686/257.78, Was #5

Drake with tire shake and clicks it off. Gasparrelli with a real nice looking pass to move up the ladder a couple spots. then he has no chutes but gets the car sopped at the top of the hill.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.669/256.60, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.657/256.02, Was #2
Right Lane: Dennis Taylor Runs 5.650/249.21, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.824/253.04, Was #17

Taylor goes from the outside off of the show to the number two spot. Dennis Taylor's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.511, 660ft-3.729/203.37mph, 1,000ft-4.765 Taylor bumps out Carroll and puts Mert Littlefield is on the bump spot at 5.793. Hough with another good looking pass, but drops to the number three spot.

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Left Lane: Jeff Carroll Runs 5.810/248.93, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.819/246.89, Was #17
Right Lane: Dale Van Gundy Runs 5.886/240.98, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.110/227.27, Was #19

Carroll who just got bumped out improves here but not enough to get back in the show. Van Gundy with his best pass of the weekend, but doesn't get into the show.

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Left Lane: John Weaver Runs 5.690/252.95, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.180/177.25, Was #20
Right Lane: Mark Woznichak Runs 5.642/255.53, Now #2; Best prior run: 10.107/88.62, Was #22

A couple great looking passes here to end the session. Woznichak with his quickest and fastest pass of the season to go to the number two spot. Mark Woznichak's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.503, 660ft-3.723/202.70mph, 1,000ft-4.761 Weaver with a real nice pass to get in the show. These two will bump out Patton and Littlefield, and put Miner is on the bump spot at 5.778 going into Saturday. The final round of qualifying is scheduled for approximately 11 am.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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