Fri, 28 Oct 2011, 08:24 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Big O Tires NHRA 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:

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.085/311.27, Now #1; Best prior run: 8.161/78.22, Was #20
Right Lane: Peter Russo No Time, Now #21; No Prior Run

4:42 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 27.95 inches, adjusted altitude 4,015 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.

Russo's team fired the engine then it died. They backed the engine down, tried to re-fire, but had no luck and could not make a pass. Hight had traction problems in the first round and is not qualified. No problems for him here, right down the groove with the quickest pass of the weekend to move into the top spot for now.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 6.723/97.24, Now #20; Best prior run: 7.388/85.15, Was #19
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.337/249.35, Now #14; No Prior Run

Head gets about 300 feet out and the car noses over, not sure why. Diehl was on a decent pass but had problems late in the run and slowed.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.234/296.11, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.507/121.08, Was #19
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.162/305.29, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.530/86.80, Was #21

A good side-by-side, both cars right down the groove, candles lit all the way through the run. Arend gets in the show in the eighth spot, Densham still needing help.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 11.339/85.08, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.415/136.47, Was #20
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.193/302.01, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.693/240.89, Was #18

Haddock goes up in smoke at the hit and has to back off the throttle. Bode makes a clean pass and gets in the show for now.

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Left Lane: Todd Lesenko Runs 4.198/296.89, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.089/259.91, Was #19
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.269/294.24, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.276/303.16, Was #16

Lesenko makes a career best pass and gets in the show for now. Lee makes a clean run, just not quick enough to get in the show.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.103/310.20, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.381/225.63, Was #19
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.166/297.48, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.231/295.85, Was #15

Troxel makes an impressive run and moves all the way to the second spot. Pedregon drifted to the left all the way through the run but runs quick enough to get in the show for now.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.126/311.99, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.213/295.34, Was #15
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.126/308.00, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.216/289.57, Was #16

A good side-by-side here, both right down the groove with the exact same time. Gray will take the third spot based on his speed, Pedregon right behind in the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 6.996/69.41, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.180/305.70, Was #13
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.187/291.95, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.208/300.53, Was #16

Force gets about 300 feet out, goes up in smoke and will not be in the qualified field. Tasca makes a clean run but not good enough to qualify.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.141/308.78, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.155/307.09, Was #10
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.148/299.46, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.154/286.86, Was #9

Another good side-by-side, both right down the groove. Capps moves up to the fifth spot, Wilkerson stays in ninth.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 5.620/124.09, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.149/303.64, Was #10
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.121/305.15, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.145/302.96, Was #8

Beckman had traction problems in the middle of the run and doesn't improve. DeJoria makes another good run and moves all the way to the third spot.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.487/204.66, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.145/309.98, Was #8
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.093/310.05, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.142/301.40, Was #7

Neff has problems around half-track and the car noses over. Hagan makes another good run and moves up to the second spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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