Sat, 6 Oct 2007, 04:42 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Larry Sullivan

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual Torco Racing Fuels 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: Ron Capps Runs 4.901/314.61, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.238/220.30, Was #18
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.849/319.22, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.180/278.52, Was #17

4:05 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 69 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 1,717 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

The drama doesn't get any better - these two needed to beat Scott Kalitta's bump time of 5.174 to get in the field and keep their championship chances alive.

Capps got in, just far enough to stay one point ahead of Scelzi in the countdown, while Scelzi moved way up into the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.862/315.93, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.174/212.59, Was #18
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.929/307.86, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.035/270.54, Was #17

Jim Head was on the bump spot at 4.929. Kalitta bumped him, but Head improved enough to move around Gary Densham and get back on the bump spot.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.980/298.27, Was #18
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.838/309.13, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.931/299.73, Was #17

Once again it's the 17th and 18th qualifiers, trying to bump back in.

Gilbertson lost traction and then popped the blower just off the starting line. Densham made a very nice run to move into the top half, bumping Head.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.865/315.71, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.877/303.78, Was #12
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.929/285.47, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.902/296.96, Was #16

Two nice runs, no change in the field.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.902/316.08, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.862/309.91, Was #11
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.972/301.94, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.890/302.08, Was #14

Again, no help, Wilkerson's car struggling on the top half.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 6.009/153.79, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.858/311.20, Was #8
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.835/308.07, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.881/309.98, Was #13

Beckman was 25 points ahead of Capps and Scelzi when he staged the car (Capps and Scelzi are tied for fourth). Worsham lost traction at mid track and may have spit out the blower belt. Beckman made an excellent run to move up to the top half and get lane choice in the first round, moving Scelzi down a slot - but he and Capps are still tied.

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Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 6.247/142.64, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.818/316.23, Was #4
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.878/302.28, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.859/305.70, Was #10

No help here either, Bernstein losing traction at mid track and Toliver failing to improve.

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Left Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.842/307.30, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.797/315.19, Was #3
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.866/309.34, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.837/312.86, Was #6

Ashley was seven points out of fourth place in the countdown when he staged the car, Pedregon was solidly in first place.

Two good runs, no improvement, nothing changed.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.822/306.81, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.790/307.58, Was #2
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 10.125/81.00, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.790/312.06, Was #1

Last pair. TJ lost traction in 100 feet and Hight made a nice, full pass for low ET of the session. But Johnson stayed first, Hight stayed second, and the field is set for tomorrow's eliminations.

Unlike Top Fuel and Pro Stock, the Funny Car Countdown picture is very cloudy, with six drivers in position to fill the four spots and all four positions still in play. The biggest first-round matchup features Capps versus Hight, but Capps, Scelzi and Ashley are all in must-win situations in the early rounds tomorrow.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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