Fri, 07 Feb 2014, 17:25 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in 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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Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.082/314.75, Now #1

1:20 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 51 percent, barometer 29.01 inches, adjusted altitude 1,874 feet, track temperature 82 degrees.

TJ starts the 2014 season with a single in the new Make-A-Wish Charger. His last pass was here at the World Finals in 2008.

Nice clean pass from start to finish. A strong low four second pass will set a high mark for the rest of the field to beat. That's a career best speed to boot!

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.301/264.80 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 8.226/81.34, Now #2
Right Lane: Phil Burkart No Time, Now #3

Burkart must have banged the blower on the burn out, as the chute is out on the track. He will have to wait to later to qualify.

Diehl's Solera is just a little lazy off the line and then shuts off early.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 9.314/66.43, Now #4
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 8.477/80.76, Now #3

Both cars leave hard, shake hard, and shut off together.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.306/244.43, Now #2
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 6.829/105.34, Now #3

Lee was on a strong pass until right before the lights, where the cylinders start to mix up and then the engine goes BANG big time.

Densham was strong initially, pumped the pedal, and then slowed.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 9.244/72.74, Now #7
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.303/236.46, Now #2

1:39 p.m. Back to racing after the cleanup in the left lane.

Head is strong off the line and then slows after some tire shake.

Pedregon makes a clean pass until right before the lights, where he makes a tribute to the aluminum gods and puts some Stuff on the track.

Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.362, 660ft-3.370/248.52 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.104/309.06, Now #2
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 8.285/82.68, Now #7

1:51 p.m. Clean ups done... Back to more Nitro!

DeJoria has a strong 0.893 sixty foot time and then immediately slows.

Arend leaves right behind her and makes a strong pass right up to the new #2 spot.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.325, 660ft-3.313/262.13 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.577/194.63, Now #5
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 6.454/113.40, Now #6

Wilkerson drops a cylinder right off the line and slows.

Tasca got a little further out, near the 660 lights and loses traction right after that.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.040/317.27, Now #1
Right Lane: Courtney Force No Time, Now #15

Force has a big BANG from the engine right at the start of her burnout and has the chutes dump on the track. Reports are that the throttle stop broke and let the engine over rev.

No problems for Worsham, as he power right on down the middle of the track with all of the number to jump into the new top spot with ease. Nice!

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.308, 660ft-3.268/271.90 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 8.070/89.46, Now #10
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.447/198.64, Now #6

Chad Head is on the bump spot at 9.244.

Capps has a strong start and then has some spin. He clicks it early.

Hight's car is strong to near the 660 lights where it starts to move around and gets out of the groove. He tries to pump the throttle to no avail.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.708/95.56, Now #9
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 7.520/77.87, Now #11

Alexis DeJoria is on the bump spot at 8.285.

Two former World Champions come to the line and both have problems.

Pedregon gets way loose down track and really close to the wall.

This will be the third season in a row that Beckman starts with a new crew chief. Only Jack and one other crewman come back from last year's team. The tune up is just a little strong and the tires are quickly smoking.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.077/316.01, Now #3
Right Lane: John Force Runs 3.983/317.72, Now #1

Ron Capps is on the bump spot at 8.070.

The 2013 World Champion show the rest of the field how it's done with both a new Track ET Record and a personal best ET. Clean and mean!

Hagan make a great run too and slides into the final #3 spot on the ladder.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.321, 660ft-3.298/266.00 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.267, 660ft-3.216/271.68 mph.

2:12 p.m. Gary Densham is on the bump spot at 6.829.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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