Sat, 27 Sep 2008, 02:20 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil 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: Matt Hagan Runs 7.206/81.80, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.194/288.89, Now #13; No Prior Run

12:44 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer 29.72 inches, adjusted altitude 2,472 feet, track temperature 111 degrees.

Hagan gets about 100 feet out, strikes the tires, pedals once, then gives up on the run. Pedregon makes a good run for the conditions and gets in the field in the 13th spot.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.239/287.05, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.165/289.51, Now #12; No Prior Run

makes his first full pass of the weekend and gets in the field for now. Capps goes right down the groove and gets in the 12th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.779/171.34, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.234/291.19, Now #15; No Prior Run

Pedregon gets about 400 feet out, starts hazing the tires, then has to give up on the run. Worsham makes a clean run and gets in the field for now.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.214/289.45, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.520/201.94, Now #18; No Prior Run

Tasca goes right down the groove and gets in the field, bumping out Head. Bartone makes a clean pass, just not quick enough to get in the show.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.187/290.63, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.167/296.50, Was #13
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 10.037/76.49, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.162/295.79, Was #11

Arend goes up in smoke at the hit and gives up on the run. Johnson makes a good pas but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.479/198.70, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.134/293.73, Was #8
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.337/234.33, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.154/300.40, Was #10

Scelzi gets about 700 feet out, hazes the tires, then backs off the throttle. Wilkerson gets a little further, then loses traction and gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.203/286.19, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.122/285.95, Was #7
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.141/292.90, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.138/291.45, Was #9

Densham makes a good run, low ET of the round so far. Hight makes a decent pass but can't improve.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.278/230.65, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.113/297.42, Was #4
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.211/291.32, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.117/302.28, Was #6

Troxel makes a decent pass but doesn't improve. Neff was out in front of Troxel for most of the run, then the car noses over about 800 feet out, not sure why.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.189/293.22, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.105/300.26, Was #3
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.170/290.07, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.113/291.89, Was #5

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.151/293.73, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.079/298.87, Was #1
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.203/287.35, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.093/301.40, Was #2

Force makes a good run, the second quickest of the round, just a little slower than Densham's run earlier in the round. No apparent problems with Toliver's run.

That ends this session, Ashley Force on top, Worsham on the bump.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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