Sat, 31 May 2008, 12:20 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol 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: Alexis De Joria Runs 15.308/57.47, Now #16; Best prior run: 11.715/76.98, Was #16
Right Lane: Vern Moats Runs 5.830/249.21, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.909/247.61, Was #15

DeJoria continues to have problems with severe tire shake right off the starting line. Moats launched hard and keep it hooked up all the way down the 1320 to move up to the number 10 spot. Vern Moats' incremental times: 60ft-0.991 sec., 330ft-2.594, 660ft-3.853/196.10mph, 1,000ft-4.928

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Left Lane: Kirk Williams Runs 5.821/247.93, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.883/237.46, Was #14
Right Lane: Nancy Matter Runs 6.456/237.63, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.892/243.99, Was #15

Matter gets out of the groove early, but she reels it in and drives it on through the 1320. Williams launched hard and moves up the ladder to tenth. Kirk Williams' incremental times: 60ft-1.013 sec., 330ft-2.597, 660ft-3.840/198.23mph, 1,000ft-4.913

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Left Lane: Cy Chesterman Runs 11.353/71.60, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.848/250.27, Was #12

Chesterman was real loose and headed toward the centerline and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Daniel Wilkerson Runs 5.716/251.72, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.819/249.53, Was #9
Right Lane: Scott McVey Runs 6.335/144.88, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.878/247.57, Was #13

McVey with a big bang around half track and big puff of smoke. Wilkerson with his best pass of the weekend to move to the number four spot. Daniel Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.538, 660ft-3.771/200.05mph, 1,000ft-4.825

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Left Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.659/254.81, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.809/250.41, Was #9
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli No Time, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.790/246.48, Was #8

Gasparrelli left before the tree was activated and will not get a time slip. Harker waits at the starting line and the NHRA resets the tree. He then has to wait for Gasparrelli to clear the top end. After all the waiting Harker launches hard and blast on through the 1320 to go to the number one spot with great pass. Steve Harker's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.517, 660ft-3.736/202.55mph, 1,000ft-4.777

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Left Lane: Kebin Kinsley Runs 5.738/250.00, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.765/249.67, Was #8
Right Lane: Jimmy Jones Runs 5.742/252.10, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.725/254.90, Was #6

Jones with another nice pass. Kinsley with his best pass of the weekend, but stays in the number eight spot...Kebin Kinsley's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.548, 660ft-3.782/200.17mph, 1,000ft-4.841

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Left Lane: Roger Bateman Runs 5.704/249.35, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.728/248.25, Was #7
Right Lane: Von Smith Runs 20.418/61.31, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.707/254.52, Was #4

Bateman won the Best Engineer Award this weekend, and then runs his best pass of the weekend to go to the number seven spot...Roger Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.527, 660ft-3.750/201.40mph, 1,000ft-4.806 Smith with violent tire shake right off the starting line and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Sean O'Bannon Runs 5.743/229.59, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.683/253.95, Was #2
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.698/250.83, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.705/251.63, Was #4

O'Bannon with another good looking pass, but not quick enough to take the number one spot back from the Harker. Sean O'Bannon's incremental times: 60ft-0.991 sec., 330ft-2.565, 660ft-3.783/202.91mph, 1,000ft-4.819 Payne with his best pass of the weekend, and moves up the ladder one spot. Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.529, 660ft-3.755/201.94mph, 1,000ft-4.805

Harker holds on to the number one spot for the fourth time in his career.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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