Sat, 08 Feb 2014, 13:49 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 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 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: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.622/259.76, Now #4; Best prior run: 9.541/89.28, Was #15

10:21 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 1,591 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.

Field not filled, no bump spot.

Ruckman saves the best for last. He has a good leave and then takes the long way down, as the car gets out of the groove after the 330 lights. All the way from 15th to #4.

Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.516, 660ft-3.727/204.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.756.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.740/255.53, Now #11; Best prior run: 8.803/96.77, Was #15
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.838/263.20, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.800/257.09, Was #12

Both cars are busy in the first 60 feet and then run on down. Looks like some pistons for Westerfield in the lights.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.587, 660ft-3.821/202.24 mph, 1,000ft-4.861.
Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.994 sec., 330ft-2.731, 660ft-3.959/204.79 mph, 1,000ft-4.982.

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Left Lane: Bernie Harrington Runs 8.845/84.55, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.939/237.00, Was #15
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.567/262.90, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.754/256.94, Was #12

Harrington is in and out of the throttle and then gives it up. The car stops on the track before the turnout.

Lombardo finally gets a full pass and makes the most of it with a clean and straight pass into the new top spot.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.505, 660ft-3.698/207.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.711.

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Left Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 5.620/257.43, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.880/253.85, Was #14
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 10.733/79.03, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.686/258.42, Was #11

10:30 a.m. The track is clear and we are back to qualifying.

Williamson was shut off yesterday in the second session and goes up to stage. Looks like the extra time helped, as he makes the pass he way looking for, right up into the top half of the field.

Bellemeur is shaking and spinning right off the line and clicks it early.

Bret Williamson's incremental times: 60ft-0.957 sec., 330ft-2.512, 660ft-3.719/205.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.746.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.650/260.16, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.659/259.06, Was #11
Right Lane: Mark Woznichak Runs 14.712/48.03, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.625/257.19, Was #9

These two are usually further up the field at this point.

Woznichak over powers the track at the hit and smokes the tires.

Gasparrelli plays bracket racer to stay number eleven.

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.542, 660ft-3.757/205.01 mph, 1,000ft-4.784.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 10.305/103.81, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.635/254.66, Was #10
Right Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 11.956/70.75, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.622/251.02, Was #8

Two of the top Division Six hitters come to the line.

Both cars are in trouble right off the line. Hough's car is hopping hard and gets all four wheels off the ground.

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Left Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 9.572/59.37, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.622/257.24, Was #7
Right Lane: Nick Januik Runs 13.409/59.91, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.599/255.87, Was #4

Hunter leaves hard and starts to shake. The chutes come out right after that and he drives into them for a while before one of them snatches the eight mile reflector.

Januik's car gets loose off the line and shakes a hard move towards the wall. He wisely lifts.

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Left Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 5.864/240.98, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.598/263.15, Was #3
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.546/262.13, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.587/258.02, Was #2

Yesterday, I said that Lindberg ran a career best . That's true for NHRA. He is the current FIA World Champion with a career best at 5.426/ 268.86. He makes another strong pass, but doesn't improve.

Payne is strong off the line and strong at the finish line for the new top spot.

Jonnie Lindberg's incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.568, 660ft-3.842/193.60 mph, 1,000ft-4.934.
Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.475, 660ft-3.667/207.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.685.

10:46 a.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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