Fri, 14 Oct 2011, 06:28 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, 27th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs No Time/No Speed, Now #1

2:49 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 28.56 inches, adjusted altitude 3,805 feet, track temperature 129 degrees.

De Joria will make a single, as Todd Lesenko sits out the session.

The Solara has a lazy leave, starts to shake after the 60 foot lights, and kicks the tires about 100 feet out to coast on down the track. She won't get a time or speed becuse of timing problems.

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Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.478/219.22, Now #1

Diehl doesn't show either.

Troxel is back in the cool In-N-Out livery this week. The Burgermobile has a terrific looking 0.895 leave and is trucking down the track until just after the 660 lights, where all the pipes go wet. Blower belt?

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 7.387/84.18, Now #4
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 5.478/125.46, Now #2

Dueling smokers!

Lee is away first and makes a safe leave until just after the 330 lights and then has the tires start to smoke.

Head's Solara was a little slower down low, but started to drift out of the groove, towards the wall, before his tires were up in smoke too.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 7.195/87.04, Now #5
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.310/277.49, Now #1

Gray tiptoes down the track, after some shake down low to get the honor of "almost a full pass" and the new number one spot.

Pedregon's pass was a lot like Head's with a drift and tire smoke before the 330 lights.

Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.382, 660ft-3.439/239.36 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.366/271.84, Now #2
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.959/242.54, Now #4

Wilkerson's Mustang is sporting a wild "BIG Website Makeover" wrap this weekend and has his hot track skills working. The engine was happy until the top end, where t lost at least one cylinder to miss the top spot.

Force's Castrol GTX Ford was right behind him until about the 330 lights, where the tires started to smoke.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.419, 660ft-3.487/240.42 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 7.941/77.98, Now #10
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 6.902/106.09, Now #7

Well, Tasca gave it every effort to get a better spot in round two qualifying after heavy tire smoke early. He was on and off the pedal several times to take the current #7 spot.

Arend's DHL Solara was too strong for the track and kicked the tires shortly after the 60 foot lights.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 7.575/76.55, Now #11
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.956/165.05, Now #4

DSR Team-mates to the line.

The left lane steals another strong leave, as Capps has a good leave, followed quickly by tire smoke.

Beckman's Charger was soft off the line and looked to be on a good pass until the back-end stepped out near the 660 lights and... Yes, smoked the tires!

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 5.334/201.34, Now #7
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.390/261.07, Now #3

Jeff Arend is on the bump spot at 7.941.

I would have never thought that a 4.31 would be number one at this spot in qualifying. REALLY tough conditions out there!

Pedregon gave it a valiant effort, but the car slowed too much down track to score better than the current #3 spot on the ladder.

Hight's Mustang was done before the 330 lights and he nailed the throttle a couple of more times to get the current #7 spot.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.349/278.06, Now #2
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.409/275.34, Now #5

Jim Head is on the bump spot at 7.387.

Two great looking passes and still no runs better than Gray's. Hagan had a little better numbers until the 330 and then Neff's Mustang had the beans to pull ahead and take the two valuable Bonus Points for the session. That ties him with Hagan right now.

Mike Neff's incremental times: 60ft-0.931 sec., 330ft-2.421, 660ft-3.481/240.81 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.450, 660ft-3.528/237.21 mph.

3:24 p.m. Johnny Gray stayed number one and Bob Tasca III is on the bump spot at 6.902.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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