Fri, 19 Sep 2008, 08:50 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 2 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 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: Tony Bartone Runs 7.359/86.64, Now #19; Best prior run: 7.260/86.31, Was #19

7:14 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 29.45 inches, adjusted altitude 2,605 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Bartone rattles the tires off the line and clicks it off about 200 feet out.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.113/303.71, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.524/128.20, Was #18
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.437/133.00, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.885/163.02, Was #14

Johnson gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Arend makes an impressive run to go all the way to the top spot.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.126/300.13, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.356/132.32, Was #18
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.216/290.57, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.223/289.63, Was #10

A couple of good looking runs, both right down the groove, header flames high and steady on both cars. Toliver gets in the field in the second spot, Densham stays number ten.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.120/299.00, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.161/140.24, Was #18
Right Lane: Jim Head No Time, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.222/284.51, Was #11

Head hits the throttle, loses traction, then bangs the blower. Pedregon keeps the slicks stuck on this pass and gets in the show in the second spot.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.110/300.20, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.989/154.07, Was #18
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 5.140/145.02, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.200/291.70, Was #10

Tasca gets about 400 feet out and the candles go out, not sure why. Pedregon had traction problems in the first round and was not qualified. No problems on this pass, right down Broadway, and he goes to the top of the field.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.123/299.73, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.597/188.91, Was #17
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 6.150/106.44, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.189/293.60, Was #10

The right lane seems to have problems, Scelzi gets about 400 feet out and goes up in smoke. No problems for Capps and he moves up to the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.092/303.03, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.408/215.00, Was #17
Right Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.092/304.46, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.176/294.63, Was #10

This was a great side-by-side, both right down groove, glued together all the way through the run. Force crosses the finish-line first and gets the pole based on her better speed.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.399/207.53, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.263/280.89, Was #17
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.109/301.33, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.154/297.55, Was #11

A great run for Force here, his quickest since going to the 1000 foot format, and he moves up to the third spot. Neff has problems about 400 feet out and clicks it off. he will go into tomorrow not qualified.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.096/304.67, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.234/290.57, Was #16
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.063/301.81, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.147/291.07, Was #10

...and the hits continue. Hight makes a great pass, the second quickest ever, and he goes to the top spot. Troxel ties her best ever run and moves into the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.099/299.66, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.151/298.40, Was #12
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.099/300.00, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.131/295.21, Was #11

WOW!!! An exclamation point on a great session, one of, if not the best, sessions since going to the 1000 foot format. Beckman and Wilkerson both go right down the groove, glued together all the way through the run. Beckman goes to the fifth spot, Wilkerson to the sixth spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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