 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from final, round 3 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run: Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.138/159.23, Now #14; No Prior Run Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.238/298.34, Now #13; No Prior Run 2:07 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 28.64 inches, adjusted altitude 2,219 feet, track temperature 74 degrees. The weather is finally cooperating with a blue patch of sky overhead. No direct sun on the track though, as the sun is still behind the many clouds. This will be Haddock's one and only attempt to qualify. Lee
smoked the tires and took out some cones earlier. Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.145/302.89, Now #7; No Prior Run Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.133/307.30, Now #5; No Prior Run 2:47 p.m. ... that took a while, as the Safety Safari had to clean the track and then lay down "Gold Dust" from before the 330 lights until the 660. The Asphalt Zamboni and sweepers made a bunch of passes, before they sprayed VHT on the track again. A few more passes by the Zamboni and the call goes out to start the engines. Both Beckman and Head had problems on their earlier passes with traction and need something close to a full pass to ensure a place on the ladder. Both cars get down the track successfully this time and well into the current top half of the field. Beckman was late and Head was dead late off the line, but that doesn't count for today. They had similar incremental, but Beckman got the best of the deal. Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.365, 660ft-3.342/261.93 mph. Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.360, 660ft-3.338/262.79 mph. Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 8.781/70.86, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.187/285.77, Was #12 Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 7.930/89.77, Now #17; No Prior Run Diehl is waaay early and then has hisFC make a hard move towards the center line, before shutting off with traction issues. He won't qualify this weekend. Troxel got the green, ran a 0.908 sixty foot time and then smoked the tires. She'll stay #12 for now. Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.188/284.99, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.178/290.69, Was #11 Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.364/248.75, Now #16; No Prior Run Another good run for Densham and he'll stay #11 for now. Pedregon's car wasn't as sharp off the line and starts to drop cylinders down track, but still improves almost a tenth over his best time. Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.350, 660ft-3.345/255.68 mph. Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.420, 660ft-3.455/245.81 mph. Left Lane: Bob Tasca III No Time, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.160/301.20, Was #10 Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 7.015/88.28, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.211/303.23, Was #14 2:57 p.m. OH NO! It's started to rain again. The two cars are pushed back to the fence. Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 4.364. 3:19 p.m. Time to go racing. After the brief rain showers, the sun is actually shining on the track for the first time today. Both cars are in the field, after only one good run each. I have no idea what happened to Tasca's car on the starting line. They team was making their final adjustments and tire cleaning and then the engine goes quiet. Pedregon leaves on a single with a 0.897 sixty foot time and then has shake, spin, and smoke about a hundred feet out. He coasts on down the track. No joy for either team.Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.535, 660ft-4.557/104.40 mph. Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.084/305.56, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.153/284.75, Was #9 Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.206/267.48, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.200/298.67, Was #13 Both cars make good three quarter passes together, but only Worsham can get to the lights under power. The Al-Anabi Solara gets from start to finish without any drama and keeps the candles lit to move six spots up the ladder into the current #3 spot on the ladder. Nice looking pass. Wilkerson's Levi, Ray and Shoup Mustang gets an 0.033 advantage off the line, but can't match the McCullough tune up. He runs to near the top end and then has smoke and Stuff out from underneath the car 3:26 p.m. Another delay for oil in Wilkerson's lane. Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.318, 660ft-3.290/265.12 mph. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.377, 660ft-3.366/259.86 mph. Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.094/302.96, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.139/302.62, Was #7 Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 7.187/93.13, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.150/303.37, Was #9 3:35 p.m. Three pair to go in FC qualifying. Both cars had one good pass and one bad one earlier. Arend is one for three, as the Solara is up in smoke before the 330 lights to stay #9. Height makes it two out of three, getting to the finish line under power and improving three spots on the ladder with a snakey pass. The Mustang moves out of the groove near the 660 lights and he has to haul it back into the groove. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.322, 660ft-3.294/263.92 mph. Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.597, 660ft-4.757/098.48 mph. Left Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 7.336/86.30, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.119/295.79, Was #5 Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.159/301.07, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.120/305.22, Was #6 Both cars were a little soft off the line and Force Hood's Castrol FC strikes the tires and coasts before the 330 lights. Capps has a safe, clean pass and runs close to his prior best to stay #6 on the ladder. Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.691, 660ft-4.856/101.44 mph. Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.363, 660ft-3.352/259.46 mph. Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.063/308.78, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.074/304.67, Was #2 Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 7.608/85.75, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.068/311.34, Was #1 All three Force cars ran in the left lane and only John and Robert get it done. Force Hood's car was up in smoke before the 330 lights. A great pass that is good enough to steal away the number one spot from a slowing Hagan. Hagan is away first by 0.019 and almost matches Force's sixty foot time. Things go bad after that, as the slicks are up in smoke, like a lot of the others, before the 330 lights. John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.317, 660ft-3.278/268.38 mph. Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.626, 660ft-4.912/091.49 mph. 3:45 p.m. This is Force's seventh number one spot here and his first since Indy of 2006. Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 4.364.
|
|
Ready to take your order at 1-800-230-3030 | Customer Service 1-800-517-1035