Fri, 30 May 2008, 06:22 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Bob Orme

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Frank Hawley Runs 5.020/291.95, Now #1

4:30 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 28.63 inches, adjusted altitude 4,134 feet, track temperature 118 degrees.

Hawley's rear end was moving back and forth all the way down the track.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 11.202/75.19, Now #3
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.777/171.40, Now #2

Kalitta struck the tires at about 200 feet, and Johnson did the same at about 800 feet.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 7.293/95.64, Now #3
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 9.700/82.15, Now #4

Bartone struck the tires at about 250 feet. Toliver's engine blew up right at the 330-foot mark. He was on fire, and stayed that way until he got the car stopped in the shutdown area. He's okay, but his team is going to have a bunch of work to do before the car is back on the track.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 10.398/70.94, Now #5
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 11.490/78.13, Now #7

4:55 p.m. Scelzi was up in smoke almost immediately. Troxel was in the same shape at about 250 feet.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 5.000/280.89, Now #2
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.993/295.98, Now #1

No traction troubles in either lane as both drivers take it straight down the groove.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.401, 660ft-3.410/252.85mph, 1,000ft-4.248
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.405, 660ft-3.411/253.80mph, 1,000ft-4.249

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 7.592/120.43, Now #7
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.089/292.33, Now #4

Worsham lost traction at about 150 feet. Densham was skating around on the top end of the track.

Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.415, 660ft-3.461/241.07mph, 1,000ft-4.333

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.980/300.80, Now #1
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 12.388/77.33, Now #13

A good looking pass for Capps. Neff was off the throttle at about 200 feet. Turns out, his steering wheel came off the column, and he was lucky to get it back on enough to steer the car down the track.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.930 sec., 330ft-2.392, 660ft-3.403/251.91mph, 1,000ft-4.242

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.467/223.95, Now #7
Right Lane: John Force Runs 5.101/290.51, Now #6

Pedregon has Herzog as his primary sponsor for this event. He stuck the tires just past the 330-foot mark. Force was mixing up the cylinders and he blew the body burst panel in the lights.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.412, 660ft-3.468/240.59mph, 1,000ft-4.341

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 8.627/95.37, Now #12
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.026/291.95, Now #5

Pedregon is running a Toyota body this weekend. Hight struck the tires at about 200 feet. A relatively good looking pass for Pedregon.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.412, 660ft-3.437/250.41mph, 1,000ft-4.279

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.991/279.38, Now #2
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.079/283.97, Now #7

Wilkerson was slowing just before the finish. Force's engine went away with a bang right at the finish.

Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.389, 660ft-3.397/254.33mph, 1,000ft-4.233
Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.441, 660ft-3.473/247.02mph, 1,000ft-4.326

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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