Fri, 19 Sep 2008, 05:40 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 5.524/128.20, Now #1

3:55 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 29.48 inches, adjusted altitude 3,062 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Arend gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.885/163.02, Now #1
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 7.260/86.31, Now #3

Bartone gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires, Johnson about 300 feet out.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.222/284.51, Now #1
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 5.356/132.32, Now #3

Toliver gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Head gets the track figured out, going right down the groove with a full pass.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.189/293.60, Now #1
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.234/290.57, Now #3

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove, not a hint of tire smoke.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.200/291.70, Now #2
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.408/215.00, Now #5

Worsham gets about 700 feet out and the car noses over, not sure why. Tasca goes right down the groove, candles lit all the way, and he gets in the second spot for now.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.154/297.55, Now #1
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.263/280.89, Now #6

Hight drove Force's car in testing earlier in the week in Rockingham. Force goes right down the groove, the engine never missing a beat, and he goes to the top of the qualifying list. He ran 4.15 last weekend in Charlotte and failed to qualify but it's looking pretty good right now. Neff makes a decent pass but oils the lane and will lose his one free oildown credit.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.223/289.63, Now #5
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.597/188.91, Now #9

Capps gets about 600 feet out and the flames go out, not sure why. Densham makes a full pass and gets in the fifth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.176/294.63, Now #3
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.151/298.40, Now #1

A couple of good looking runs, both right down the groove, candles lit all the way through the runs. Wilkerson moves ahead of John Force to take the top spot, Ashley falls in right behind her dad in the order.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.147/291.07, Now #1
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.989/154.07, Now #14

Pedregon gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. Hight makes the quickest pass of the session so far and takes the pole for now. The only drawback, he oils the lane and will use his one free oildown credit.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.131/295.21, Now #1
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.161/140.24, Now #16

Pedregon gets about 400 feet out and strikes the tires. Beckman makes an impressive run, right down the groove, and he takes the top spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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