Sat, 27 Oct 2007, 05:50 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Bob Orme

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual ACDelco Las Vegas 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: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.866/313.88, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.875/313.44, Was #16
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.952/308.14, Now #23; Best prior run: 4.989/309.63, Was #23

1:53 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 14 percent, barometer 28.02 inches, adjusted altitude 4,132 feet, track temperature 105 degrees.

Both drivers take it straight down the groove and they both improve just a bit.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.849/311.63, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.836/315.78, Was #11
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.903/303.23, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.896/292.14, Was #19

Papa John is in the house again, track-side near the starting line. I'm told Mike Neff will not be running this round.

No problems in either lane until Wilkerson began mixing up the cylinders just before the finish line.

Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.326, 660ft-3.315/257.14mph, 1,000ft-4.137
Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.324, 660ft-3.323/253.23mph, 1,000ft-4.169

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Left Lane: James Day No Time, Now #24; Best prior run: 5.272/273.77, Was #24
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.896/318.92, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.908/316.38, Was #21

Day back-fired the blower on the burnout. Phil Burkart is on the bump spot at 4.869.

Bernstein's pass was clean and straight, but he was looking for better numbers.

Kenny Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.379/258.07mph, 1,000ft-4.196

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.945/304.80, Now #22; Best prior run: 4.935/301.47, Was #22
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.809/316.15, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.876/307.02, Was #17

Gilbertson moved to the right at the 330-foot mark and he was close to the centerline at half track. A good looking pass by Worsham moves him into the top half of the field for now.

Bob Gilbertson's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.397, 660ft-3.387/257.28mph, 1,000ft-4.218
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.300/260.26mph, 1,000ft-4.110

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.889/319.67, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.894/316.23, Was #18
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 9.587/93.65, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.869/314.83, Was #17

Burkart stuck the tires at about 200 feet. Head was to the left of the groove from about 250 feet through 800 feet.

Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.363, 660ft-3.366/253.71mph, 1,000ft-4.191

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 8.010/104.67, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.864/310.98, Was #15
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 10.383/81.54, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.846/319.52, Was #14

Both drivers went up in smoke; Toliver at about 200 feet and Bartone at about 300 feet.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 9.786/84.69, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.835/317.57, Was #11
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 9.162/105.94, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.834/316.08, Was #10

Synchronized tire smoke in both lanes at about 200 feet.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.823/320.89, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.839/318.84, Was #13
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.796/323.58, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.820/317.87, Was #9

Pedregon was moving around his lane for most of this pass. A trouble-free pass for Capps moves him into the number five spot for now.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.330, 660ft-3.318/259.56mph, 1,000ft-4.127
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.338, 660ft-3.308/263.05mph, 1,000ft-4.109

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 7.085/116.59, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.782/321.81, Was #3
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.821/325.22, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.819/326.95, Was #9

Beckman hazed the tires at the 330-foot mark. Ashley was mixing up the cylinders starting at about 1000 feet.

Mike Ashley's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.363, 660ft-3.337/263.15mph, 1,000ft-4.136

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 9.002/93.76, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.770/314.09, Was #2
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.799/324.67, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.815/322.11, Was #8

Pedregon struck the tires at about 200 feet. A very good looking pass by Scelzi and he moves up a couple spots.

Gary Scelzi's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.343, 660ft-3.313/263.62mph, 1,000ft-4.113

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 11.820/72.67, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.763/322.58, Was #1
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.862/319.75, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.799/316.67, Was #7

Hight's engine went silent at about 150 feet. Arend dropped a cylinder at about 1000 feet.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.366, 660ft-3.353/257.87mph, 1,000ft-4.167

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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