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NHRA LODRS IHRA PR-DRAG Drag News Photos
Thu, 9 Nov 2006, 06:15 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1
By Darryl Jackman





POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.973/289.32, Now #1

2:30 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 43 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 2,372 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Bob Bode is the first of the nitro floppers to make the call here in round one of qualifying. Bode looked strong until just before the lights. A loud bang followed by smoke but no oil. The diaper did its job this time.


Right Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 4.939/285.95, Now #1

Oh that run just went so wrong! Everything was fine until about 1000 feet again and the car appeared to lose traction followed by losing an engine. The car came to a stop on the track and the Safari was rolling from both directions. We're down for just a bit while they clean the racing surface in the right lane.

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.805/313.37, Now #1
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 13.471/74.96, Now #4

The newly married Jack Beckman comes to the line in Don Schumacher's Matco Tools Charger. Beckman is away first and manages to keep the Dodge hooked up all the way to the stripe. Wilkerson on the other hand has his 2006 woes continue as he blows the tires off early in the run.

Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 10.323/78.78, Now #5
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 9.525/113.13, Now #4

Head appeared to lose a blower belt just a few feet off the starting line and winds up coasting most of the run. Gilbertson blew the tires off early and he was coasting just a little faster in the other lane.

Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.843/319.37, Now #2
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.845/320.43, Now #3

Kalitta shook pretty hard right at the hit but recovered right away. He managed to record the second best number of the session to this point. Densham goes to #3 with a sweet run right down the middle. There was some smoke as he crossed the finish.

Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.223/218.80, Now #7
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.762/328.38, Now #1

Bartone was losing and getting cylinders back all the way down. His ET certainly reflects that. Ashley goes to the top over the heap and has a huge MPH to go with that ET. We've had ten cars make an attempt in the session.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.712/309.56, Now #1
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.231/221.09, Now #9

Worsham resets the low ET for the round but it was certainly costly. At first you could see pieces coming coming out from under and then followed by lots of engine smoke. That makes him #1 and becomes his personal best ET. Must be the diaper worked again as the Safari made a quick inspection and then returned to their positions.

Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.881/315.12, Now #6
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 8.469/96.14, Now #11

Burkart follows the boss and manages to take the other CSK racer to a top half spot. Scelzi got a little out of the groove and wound up striking the tires at about half track.

Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.798/320.81, Now #3
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.808/316.67, Now #5

TJ takes Prudhomme's Skoal racer to the #3 spot and gets into the 4.7s. Pedregon was just a tick behind has to settle for #5.

Left Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 4.730/318.69, Now #2
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 5.637/170.90, Now #14

Hight made no bones yesterday about his and Prock's attempt to win the title and that it included going after the record. That will have to wait until another session as there was raw fuel out the pipes early in the run. Medlen got a lot further but can't quite catch Worsham.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.769/324.36, Now #5
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.731/323.74, Now #3

Two of the points contenders meet here in the final pair of the session. A great side by side is the result and it's Force that gets there first and slots into the #3 position. Yesterday at the luncheon it was Force that said he was more worried about qualifying than setting a record. He most likely can put that worry out of his mind at this point. Capps was certainly no slouch and he's just a couple of spots behind Force at the moment. He needs Force to go out early and for him to win the event to have a reasonable shot at the title. That's all for Funny Car and the long engine stands will takes the stage in a few moments.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink




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