Fri, 30 May 2008, 09:16 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Bob Orme

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from round 2 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 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: Mike Neff Runs 5.010/303.91, Now #5; Best prior run: 12.388/77.33, Was #19

7:30 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 88 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 28.66 inches, adjusted altitude 4,045 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Neff was mixing up the cylinders from 1000 feet through the finish.

Mike Neff's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.392, 660ft-3.427/246.80mph, 1,000ft-4.278

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.938/295.40, Now #1; Best prior run: 11.490/78.13, Was #19
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 6.246/152.59, Now #14; Best prior run: 11.202/75.19, Was #18

Kalitta started smoking the tires at half track and his car was skating around quite a bit after that. Scelzi lost the blower belt just before the finish line.

Gary Scelzi's incremental times: 60ft-0.932 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.377/255.97mph, 1,000ft-4.207

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.881/301.81, Now #1; Best prior run: 9.700/82.15, Was #18
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.912/304.53, Now #2; Best prior run: 10.398/70.94, Was #19

Troxel took it straight down the groove. Bartone was skating around on the top end and he blew the body burst panel at the finish.

Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.378, 660ft-3.350/263.10mph, 1,000ft-4.160
Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.931 sec., 330ft-2.372, 660ft-3.372/255.53mph, 1,000ft-4.194

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.933/304.32, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.777/171.40, Was #15
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.917/292.27, Now #3; Best prior run: 8.627/95.37, Was #19

No obvious problems for either driver and they both move well up the ladder.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.386, 660ft-3.383/256.55mph, 1,000ft-4.208
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.350, 660ft-3.338/258.02mph, 1,000ft-4.170

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.936/302.28, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.101/290.51, Was #15
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.231/235.43, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.592/120.43, Was #19

Both drivers were mixing up the cylinders on the top half of the track. Worsham lifted early while Force stayed on the throttle.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.359, 660ft-3.367/252.57mph, 1,000ft-4.204
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.426/228.58mph, 1,000ft-4.358

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.074/296.37, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.089/292.33, Was #15
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.917/298.27, Now #3; Best prior run: 7.293/95.64, Was #19

Densham is a little quicker this time around, but not by much. No problems for Toliver.

Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.413, 660ft-3.452/242.10mph, 1,000ft-4.323
Jerry Toliver's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.377, 660ft-3.356/259.16mph, 1,000ft-4.183

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.979/305.56, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.079/283.97, Was #16
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.491/204.70, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.467/223.95, Was #18

Pedregon struck the tires at about 500 feet and he was off the throttle before the 1000-foot mark. A decent looking pass for Wilkerson.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.372, 660ft-3.396/246.26mph, 1,000ft-4.250
Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.909 sec., 330ft-2.339, 660ft-3.487/217.56mph, 1,000ft-4.478

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.042/261.12, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.026/291.95, Was #15
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.901/305.91, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.000/280.89, Was #12

Pedregon was off the throttle at about 1100 feet, the reason not apparent from here. A good looking pass for Tasca moves him into the number two spot for now.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.401, 660ft-3.417/252.28mph, 1,000ft-4.249
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.369, 660ft-3.354/257.78mph, 1,000ft-4.179

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Left Lane: Frank Hawley Runs 4.907/311.63, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.020/291.95, Was #14
Right Lane: Ashley Force Runs 5.029/298.80, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.991/279.38, Was #11

Hawley runs the fastest Funny Car speed of the weekend so far. Force's pass looked better than the numbers show.

Frank Hawley's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.381, 660ft-3.374/256.65mph, 1,000ft-4.195
Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.384, 660ft-3.420/244.03mph, 1,000ft-4.285

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.940/306.12, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.993/295.98, Was #13
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.911/287.17, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.980/300.80, Was #11

A good looking pass for both drivers. It appears Capps was off the throttle just before the finish.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.382, 660ft-3.382/253.61mph, 1,000ft-4.216
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.354, 660ft-3.326/259.76mph, 1,000ft-4.156

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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