Fri, 19 Jul 2013, 18:44 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Jim Samuel

EPPING, N.H. - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Northeast Division, event at New England Dragway 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:

---

Left Lane: DJ Cox Jr. Runs 5.826/249.86, Now #7; No Prior Run

6:01 p.m. - Cox was the ninth driver here trying to make the eight-car field. He needed to beat John Headley's ET of 7.399 seconds to make it into the field. Cox had a little bit of tire spin when he launched, but the rear tires hooked up and COx went straight down the groove. That put Paul Gill on the bump spot at 6.385, with Headley waiting to make his final qualifying attempt.

---

Left Lane: Paul Gill Runs 5.910/250.74, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.385/176.14, Was #8
Right Lane: John Headley Runs 6.048/235.97, Now #9; Best prior run: 7.399/122.54, Was #9

Gill was on the bump spot and Headley was outside the top eight when these two drivers staged their cars. Gill launched and the car started to move around a lot in his lane. He pedaled the car to get it straightened out and managed to make it down the track. Headley spun the rear tires a little bit when he launched but never got quick enough to bump his way back into the field. The field is now set and the rest of this session will be for position only.

---

Left Lane: Eric Lourie Runs 5.824/246.30, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.820/247.07, Was #6
Right Lane: Fred Tigges Runs 6.356/159.97, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.792/251.25, Was #5

Tigges shook the tires and his car moved around a lot on the track before he let the chutes out early. Reports from the track are that there is oil in Tigges' lane. Lourie's car looked okay on the track but he did not improve on his time from the first session. It sounds like we'll be down for a while while the track crew cleans up.

---

Left Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 5.678/257.58, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.731/256.21, Was #3
Right Lane: Todd Veney Runs 5.738/252.05, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.732/254.09, Was #4

Manzo had a nice run that was his quickest of the day and put him into the top spot in the order for now. Veney's run looked good but was not as quick as his first session time.

---

Left Lane: Dan Pomponio Runs 5.776/254.52, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.726/255.77, Was #3
Right Lane: John Anderika Runs 5.909/202.39, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.719/251.81, Was #2

Anderika was just pushed out of the top spot in the order by Manzo. This time, Anderika's car drifted left, went a foot or two over the center line and took out a foam timing block and mid track before he got off the throttle and the car straightened out. Pomponio was out in front at the time. His time was not as quick as the first session so he will not move in the qualifying order. That's it for Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying. Eliminations are scheduled to begin tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



LODRS: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Top Sportsman Final, Round 6 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Competition Eliminator Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Super Gas Final, Round 7 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Top Dragster Final, Round 6 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Sportsman Motorcycle Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Super Gas Round 6 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Super Comp Final, Round 7 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Stock Eliminator Final, Round 7 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Top Sportsman Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 08- LODRS 7-8 - Super Stock Final, Round 6 Eliminations