Fri, 07 Feb 2014, 15:51 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 5.622/257.24, Now #1

12:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 1,707 feet, track temperature 72 degrees.

Top Alcohol Dragster doesn't have a full field and will not run until later today.

Hunter in the Synoil Funny Car starts the session with a good pass. The car starts to drift towards the center line down track and he gently pulls it back to the middle.

Greg Hunter's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.508, 660ft-3.715/204.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.747.

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Left Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 12.943/75.66, Now #2
Right Lane: Nick Januik No Time, Now #3

Januik has problems after the burnout and is shut off.

Lindberg has his own issue, as the Monte Carlo is up in smoke at the green. He stays with it a little too long and the car makes a hard move towards the center line. He stays in his lane and will get a time.

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Left Lane: Bernie Harrington Runs 5.939/237.00, Now #2
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 7.980/113.36, Now #3

Harrington runs clean to the finish line.

Leanders matches his 60 foot numbers, but has the car moving around going down the track. He clicks it early.

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Left Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 5.880/253.85, Now #2
Right Lane: Mark Woznichak Runs 15.772/56.15, Now #6

The Woz shakes and spins right off the line and slows.

Williamson gets a little further before he has to slap the pedal. He stays after it and posts a time to tune to.

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Left Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 10.317/84.60, Now #6
Right Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 5.833/240.51, Now #2

Thompson uses a lot of racetrack on the top end and still gets a good time to go into the current #2 spot.

Ruckman was stronger off the line, but had traction issues before 100 feet.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.635/254.66, Now #2
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.686/258.42, Now #3

Hough leaves hard and has his Mustang drive steadily towards the center line. He drives through it and on to the new #2 spot.

Bellemeur has a better 60 foot number, but trails on down the track for #3.

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.977 sec., 330ft-2.515, 660ft-3.723/205.63 mph, 1,000ft-4.755.
Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.573, 660ft-3.785/204.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.816.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.878/255.15, Now #6
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.587/258.02, Now #1

Payne has the power and runs the first fifty of the session. Right on down Broadway to the new top spot. Nice!

Gasparrelli gets some good numbers to tune to.

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.663, 660ft-3.938/197.25 mph, 1,000ft-4.994.
Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.488, 660ft-3.687/206.32 mph, 1,000ft-4.714.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 8.803/96.77, Now #11
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.754/256.94, Now #5

Westerfield's car is loose down low. He pumps the pedal and then gives it up.

Clean pass for Lombardo into the top half of the field.

12:45 p.m. Jay Payne is #1 at 5.587; No bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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