Fri, 21 Sep 2007, 09:18 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 22st annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec 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: Tony Bartone Runs 4.888/308.85, Now #1; Best prior run: 7.038/120.48, Was #17

7:43 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.29 inches, adjusted altitude 2,511 feet, track temperature 107 degrees.

Bartone makes a great pass here, right down the groove, header flames high and steady, and he goes all the way to the top spot.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.818/314.53, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.298/146.27, Was #17
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.788/320.36, Now #1; Best prior run: 9.226/83.56, Was #19

What a difference the weather makes. The sun is gone, the track and the air are getting cooler, and the cars are really starting to fly. Two more great passes, both right down the groove. Arend takes the pole for now, but I'm sure there will plenty of movement in the order before we're through with this round.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 9.373/90.25, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.935/158.73, Was #17
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.673/185.38, Now #17; Best prior run: 7.545/116.13, Was #19

A couple of disappointed teams here. Hight strikes the tires about 300 feet out, pedals once, then has to give up on the run. The same for Johnson, only he gets to half-track before losing traction.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.911/311.41, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.514/190.00, Was #14
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 5.326/200.41, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.268/144.00, Was #19

Kalitta gets about 700 feet down and the candles go out, not sure why. Toliver goes right down the groove and moves up to the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.866/295.72, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.306/265.48, Was #14
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 9.706/86.44, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.648/198.00, Was #17

Pedregon was on a good pass, then the candles go out about 1200 feet down track, but he still manages to move into the top half of the field. Densham misses a good chance, striking the tires about 300 feet out after a pretty good .912 sixty-foot time.

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Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.840/314.31, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.169/282.90, Was #14
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.884/291.63, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.558/186.56, Was #16

Head is on the bump which is probably not going to be a safe place to be tomorrow with teams like Hight, Johnson and Densham not in the show yet. Head makes a good run here that could have been better. The flames go out a little before he crosses the finish-line but he still moves up to the fifth spot. Bernstein keeps the candles lit all the way through the run to move up to the third spot.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.801/321.35, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.040/278.75, Was #15
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.882/303.09, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.009/291.51, Was #13

Force makes a great pass, right down Broadway, and he moves all the way to the second spot. Pedregon makes a good run but the flames died just before he crossed the finish-line.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.787/318.17, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.028/263.82, Was #15
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.868/322.11, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.004/300.93, Was #14

An impressive run for Wilkerson, right down the groove, and he moves all the way to the top spot. Ashley moves up in the order with a full pass.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.884/316.82, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.966/302.01, Was #14
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.851/317.79, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.988/308.00, Was #15

A couple of good looking runs, both right down the groove, both move up. Kalitta is on the bump.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.808/294.37, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.958/313.37, Was #14
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.863/307.72, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.960/307.02, Was #15

These two started this session one and two and have been bumped to 14th and 15th. Densham has the second quickest sixty foot time of the round, a .892, then he loses fire just before he crosses the finish line, but he still moves up to the 4th spot. Scelzi makes a good pass and moves up to the top half of the field.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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