Fri, 17 May 2013, 14:41 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Lance Van Hauen Runs 6.342/232.23, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 62 percent, barometer 28.75 inches, adjusted altitude 3,451 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Van Hauen started drifting out of the groove, but reeled it in.

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Left Lane: Steve Griboski No Time, Now #3
Right Lane: Scott McVey Runs 6.219/207.37, Now #1

Griboski rolled the beam and left before the tree was activated. McVey started to shake and pedaled it around 300 feet.

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Left Lane: Wayne Butler No Time, Now #5
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.707/251.86, Now #1

butler started to drifting out of the groove and finally crossed the centerline and collected the finish line timing blocks, so his run is DQ'ed. Bellemeur launched hard and was straight down the groove with a real nice pass. Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.977 sec., 330ft-2.538, 660ft-3.766/200.86 mph, 1,000ft-4.816.

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Left Lane: Mark Billington Runs 5.762/253.28, Now #2
Right Lane: Charles McLaws Runs 5.892/247.07, Now #3

This was a good side-by-side drag race...Mark Billington's incremental times: 60ft-1.000 sec., 330ft-2.587, 660ft-3.821/200.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.873.
Charles McLaws' incremental times: 60ft-0.987 sec., 330ft-2.619, 660ft-3.899/195.19 mph, 1,000ft-4.982.

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Left Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 5.625/256.60, Now #1
Right Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.773/252.33, Now #4

Kaplan with a real nice pass, straight down the groove to go to the number one spot. Jirka Kaplan's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.499, 660ft-3.710/203.49 mph, 1,000ft-4.748. Ruckman with a good pass to start the weekend. Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-1.020 sec., 330ft-2.596, 660ft-3.830/200.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.883.

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Left Lane: Kris Hool Runs 6.039/247.93, Now #6
Right Lane: Doug Gordon No Time, Now #11

Gordon with problems on the burnout and drove off the top end. Hool started to shake about 300 feet out and pedaled it.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.620/255.53, Now #1
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.641/256.21, Now #3

Payne launched hard and was straight down the groove to go to the number one spot. Westerfield started drifting out of the groove toward the centerline, but stayed with it to go to the number three spot. Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.707/205.41 mph, 1,000ft-4.741.
Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.522, 660ft-3.731/205.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.764.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.741/257.43, Now #6
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.713/255.92, Now #5

This was a good side-by-side drag race to wrap up round one of qualifying. They are both in the top half of the show. Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.986 sec., 330ft-2.594, 660ft-3.823/203.09 mph, 1,000ft-4.865.
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.997 sec., 330ft-2.576, 660ft-3.797/202.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.835.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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