Fri, 19 Feb 2010, 04:54 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.314/274.22, Now #1

2:14 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 28.62 inches, adjusted altitude 3,214 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

The weather man has predicted some bad weather for tomorrow, so today's two session are vital for being in the show on Sunday. We had some good Pro Stock times, so this could be good.

Diehl starts the session with a single pass. He gets from start to finish without any drama and will have some good numbers to tune from in session two.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 12.199/31.51, Now #3
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.187/285.77, Now #1

Troxel had a pretty good WinterNationals with the new In-N-Out Charger, but Lee's best qualifying pass was DQ'ed, when the car was too light after waiting a long time for Diehl to back up.

Both cars leave together and have good sixty foot times, but Lee's Impala is up in smoke before the 330 lights. Troxel's car keeps the tire stuck and makes a strong pass. Nice looking run.

Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-3.170, 660ft-6.516/057.15 mph.
Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.385, 660ft-3.371/261.17 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 8.822/78.89, Now #4
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.178/290.69, Now #1

Once again, the left lane spins and the right lane flies!

Arend is off the line first and gets almost to the 330 lights before the tires are up in smoke.

Densham's Impala has better incrementals down low and just motors away for a clean pass.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.938, 660ft-5.749/074.73 mph.
Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.344, 660ft-3.345/252.99 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.233/291.57, Now #3
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 6.815/94.13, Now #5

Head's Solara fires and falls back for no apparent reason.

Wilkerson gets down the left lane and gets some good data for the second session this afternoon.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.399, 660ft-3.405/254.38 mph.
Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.538, 660ft-4.494/109.01 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 6.354/103.60, Now #6
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.139/302.62, Now #1

Hight steps up the pace, big time, with a great sixty foot time and a strong clean pass into the new #1 spot.

Pedregon left right with him with just a 0.001 difference in RT, but could match the pace. Getting to the 330 lights has been a struggle for half of the cars, so far, and Pedregon's Nitro Fish is no exception.

Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.519, 660ft-4.262/121.67 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.347, 660ft-3.335/260.46 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.271/286.44, Now #6
Right Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.168/298.40, Now #2

OK! We finally get two good passes from both lanes and both cars move up into the top half of the field.

Force took the lead at the green and pulled steadily ahead to the finish line. Pedregon had good early numbers, but the engine was struggling by the 660 lights.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.429/248.39 mph.
Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.358, 660ft-3.354/257.14 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.135/292.58, Now #1
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 9.112/77.59, Now #12

Hagan's Charger gets a huge lead at the green and keeps it, as Worsham's Solara leaves hard and then is up in smoke and out of the groove about a 100 feet out.

We get a new #1 qualifier and a bump spot from this pair!

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.335, 660ft-3.320/261.62 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-3.131, 660ft-6.131/076.58 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 5.790/118.50, Now #9
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.160/301.20, Now #0

Del Worsham is on the bump spot at 9.112.

Tasca's Mustang gets a small advantage off the line and has better incrementals, until Beckman's Charges smokes the tires right at the 330 lights. Great pass for the Ford.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.406, 660ft-3.953/137.92 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.353/258.42 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 7.273/89.13, Now #13
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.168/300.86, Now #3

In almost a repeat of the prior pair, Force gets a full pass and Capps doesn't to end the session.

Capps gets off the line well ahead of Force and matches his 0.912 sixty foot time, but spins the tire at the 330 lights and slows.

Force makes a great looking run and splits the other Team Force Mustang's, taking the #3 position for the session.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.603, 660ft-4.722/099.53 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.366, 660ft-3.360/258.81 mph.

2:44 p.m. Matt Hagan is #1 at 4.135 and Jim Head is on the bump spot at 6.815.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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