Fri, 9 Jul 2010, 06:48 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

KENT, Wash. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Grant Downing Runs 4.708/198.38, Now #1

2:32 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 90 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 29.62 inches, adjusted altitude 3,036 feet, track temperature 129 degrees.

This will be Downing first National Event of the year. Based on the pre-entry car count we will have a bump spot before tomorrow evening, maybe this session. The track is getting hotter and this being the first session, most of the teams will be tip-toeing down the track.

Downing's car was a little soft off the line and then the engines goes way sour. He continues to flog it down track and it finally gives up near the 1000 foot lights.

...and we are down for oil. Looks like a Big Bagger to boot.

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Left Lane: Brian Thiel Runs 4.736/260.46, Now #3
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.428/258.22, Now #1

2:51 p.m. Well, that took a while.

This is Thiel's first attempt to qualify in 2010 and we haven't seen The Teacher's Pet FC on the tour since earlier this year.

Thiel is off the throttle early and Densham gets to near the 1000 foot lights before the engine expires. Not too good, but no Stuff on the track.

Brian Thiel's incremental times: 60ft-1.016 sec., 330ft-2.624, 660ft-3.791/218.94 mph.
Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.423, 660ft-3.490/229.66 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.468/215.72, Now #2
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.470/223.69, Now #3

Arend gets off the line first and pulls away until near the top end , where the Solara starts to move around on the track.

Pedregon chases him with a little better numbers until right at the 660 lights where it looked like a lot of smoke from the pipes. He keeps it going to stay in front in the lights.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.377, 660ft-3.446/227.15 mph.
Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.406, 660ft-3.479/232.47 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 6.006/111.18, Now #7
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.195/145.64, Now #6

Two take the green, get sa ways down track and then give it up with some shake, smoke and dropped cylinders.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps No Time, Now #9
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.312/279.90, Now #1

Capps fires and falls back, as the car makes a hard move near the 330 lights and nails the 330 reflector and stops on the track. That will DQ his run.

Wilkerson gets a full pass into the #1 spot and almost joins Capps on the DQ list, as the Mustang drifts over to the centerline and just misses the reflector.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.401, 660ft-3.447/243.81 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.644/212.76, Now #6
Right Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.272/281.30, Now #1

Both cars leave hard with Tasca getting the initial advantage down low. He has to work the pedal after the 330 lights and then clicks it early to coast on down.

Force Hood has a hot weather, hot track tune up and marches to the finish line and into the new top spot.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.374, 660ft-3.566/197.59 mph.
Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.382, 660ft-3.417/247.66 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 6.181/105.67, Now #12
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.371/275.79, Now #3

Two DSR FC's to the line.

The right lane continues to be the quick and fast choice, as Hagan makes it all the way down the track without any drama. Nice pass.

Beckman had the best sixty foot time of the session, but the track couldn't hold it, as the slicks are up in smoke by the 330 lights.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.435, 660ft-4.131/124.91 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.932 sec., 330ft-2.426, 660ft-3.489/239.40 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.325/245.40, Now #3
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.435/250.18, Now #6

Team Force this time.

The Prock Rocket has the magic for the tough left lane and gets down the track on a safe pass into the new #3 position.

Force's Mustang had a softer tune up and chases the 2009 Champion down the track into the top half of the field.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.368, 660ft-3.406/243.68 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.405, 660ft-3.477/034.82 mph.

3:22 p.m. Ashley Force Hood is the number one qualifier at 4.272 and Del Worsham is on the bump spot at 5.195.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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