Sat, 25 Sep 2010, 07:02 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec 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: Jim Head Runs 4.194/299.33, Now #6; No Prior Run
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.170/294.63, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.407/254.90, Was #11

12:12 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 73 percent, barometer 29.53 inches, adjusted altitude 2,670 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

A good side-by-side, Head and Force right down the middle of the lanes. Head wasn't in the field but makes a clean pass to move all the way to the sixth spot. Force improves and moves into he third spot.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.100/307.72, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.713/215.41, Was #13
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.291/295.72, Now #12; No Prior Run

Hagan had a good 60-foot time, then has to pedal to settle down the slicks. he keeps it in the groove and goes on through with a decent pass to get in the show in the twelfth spot for now. Hood makes her quickest pass of the weekend and takes the pole for now.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 7.146/99.24, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 8.840/74.53, Now #16; No Prior Run

Troxel gets about 200 feet out, breaks the tires loose and backs off the throttle. Diehl gets a little further, pedals once, then gives up on the run.

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Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.835/212.43, Now #15; No Prior Run

5:39 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 76 percent, barometer 29.41 inches, adjusted altitude 2,663 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

We're back after a five hour rain delay. We will finish this round and go right into the last session of Pro Qualifying. This will be the only round of Funny Car qualifying.

Creasy gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. he pedals, makes a move toward the wall and backs off the throttle. He rolls about 100 feet, gets back on the throttle and the rear of the car starts moving around. He pedals again, gets close to the wall and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 7.963/91.19, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.263/251.86, Was #11
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.129/300.40, Now #2; No Prior Run

Pedregon rattles the tires hard off the line and gives up on the run quickly. Capps makes this final attempt count, going right down the groove and going all the way to the second spot.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 8.512/77.64, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.249/277.43, Was #11
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.205/292.71, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.301/284.03, Was #14

Worsham had a repeat of Pedregon's run, rattling the tires at the hit, then backing off the throttle quickly. Lee makes a clean pass and moves up to the tenth spot.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.132/305.01, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.225/293.47, Was #11
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.126/302.89, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.200/289.45, Was #9

Beckman is able to tame the left lane on this pass. He goes right down the groove and is able to move into the top half of the filed to the fifth spot. tasca makes his quickest pass of the weekend and moves into the second spot for now.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.517/191.08, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.183/287.66, Was #9
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.079/305.77, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.181/282.90, Was #8

Hight was on a great pass but started drifting to the right. He gets about 600 feet out, gets close to the centerline, then wisely backs off the throttle. Wilkerson makes an impressive run, going right down Broadway with the quickest pass of the weekend to take th top spot.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.121/305.56, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.163/290.76, Was #7
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 12.411/41.55, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.129/299.26, Was #5

Pedregon strikes the tires at the hit and has to give up on the run. Arend makes an impressive run and moves into the third spot

That will end qualifying for the Funny Cars with Wilkerson on the pole and Creasy on the bump.

A notable first round match-up tomorrow will be Force vs. hight.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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