Sat, 13 Sep 2008, 02:58 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Jason Murray

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Inaugural NHRA Carolinas 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: William Fulford Runs 7.231/154.30, Now #18; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Melinda Green-King Runs 6.128/233.08, Now #16; Best prior run: 10.454/79.46, Was #17

Weather conditions: air temperature 90 degrees, relative humidity 53 percent, barometer 29.34 inches, adjusted altitude 3,626 feet, track temperature 119 degrees.

2:06 p.m. Fulford is making his first attempt of the weekend. That means there are 18 cars but only 16 spots on the ladder. Fulford was soft off the line, he went about 1000ft and the engine went silent. Melinda kept the car straight and in the middle of the groove and she will get into the show, but will be on the bump.

Melinda Green-King's incremental times: 60ft-1.010 sec., 330ft-2.662, 660ft-4.004/183.97mph, 1,000ft-5.159

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Left Lane: Mark Rogers Runs 5.989/240.68, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.059/239.31, Was #15
Right Lane: Bill Naves Runs 6.102/231.08, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.301/223.43, Was #17

Naves just got bump out of the show and not its his turn at the track. Both drivers make great runs. Rogers makes his quickest run of the weekend. Naves goes down zMax Dragway quicker than he ever has, but at the end of the track he goes into the sand trap. The good thing about the run he gets into the show, but his crew will have to really work hard to get the car ready for round 1 later today.

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Left Lane: Paul Gill No Time, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.754/249.44, Was #10
Right Lane: Marty Nothstein No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.879/250.18, Was #14

The remaining cars in the lanes were already qualified, with the Bill Naves trip into the sand trap NHRA has pulled the final session for the rest of the class.

Bill Naves was checked and released by NHRA emergency services officials after his car went out of control and crashed into the sand traps at the end of the track's shutdown area. His car entered the sand traps at a high rate of speed after his parachutes failed to deploy properly after his run. His car impacted the first catch-net, which stopped its forward progress.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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