Sat, 22 Feb 2014, 17:23 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals 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: Jeff Diehl Runs 5.654/128.26, Now #13; No Prior Run

2:44 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 28.66 inches, adjusted altitude 2,854 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

Lots of "Hero or Zero" passes in TF. This should be interesting. With nineteen cars, at least we will have a real bump spot!

Diehl gets a single and continues to struggle. Fair leave and then tire amoke about 1oo feet out. His best run of the weekend.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.247/290.19, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 6.540/109.05, Now #15; No Prior Run

Pedregon didn't make the first session yesterday and he had to abort in the second session. Haddock is on the bottom of the ladder coming into this session.

Pedregon gets the beautiful American Racing Funny Car from A to B with just a little drama in the lights, with smoke from the engine.

Haddock had a better sixty foot time, but was up in smoke shortly after that.

Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.396, 660ft-3.414/252.71 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.120/303.16, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 6.430/115.92, Now #16; No Prior Run

m didn't run the second session yesterday and has traction problems right off the line.

Arend's Charger makes a full pass this time and moves up to the new #13 spot. That will keep him in the field for this session.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.339, 660ft-3.321/262.79 mph.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.076/308.85, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.095/308.64, Was #11
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.104/311.99, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.096/304.94, Was #12

These two ran just 0.001 apart yesterday and need to move up the ladder.

Force picks up a little speed, but can't improve on Friday's ET with a clean pass.

Johnson has a strong pass going and then gets out of the groove way down track and got very close to the wall, after dropping a cylinder. He still has the power to jump up into the top half of the field for now.

]Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.313, 660ft-3.288/263.87 mph.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.332, 660ft-3.319/263.51 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.025/151.70, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.073/312.42, Was #6
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 7.140/86.27, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.091/309.63, Was #11

Gary Densham is on the bump spot at 6.430.

No joy for either crew, as they both are smoking the tires early. Hagan before the 330 lights and Worsham right after.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.151/302.69, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.066/308.35, Was #5
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.181/296.76, Now #14; No Prior Run

Pedregon is now on the bottom of the field and Wilkerson is still in the top five.

Both cars run together down the track, but no big numbers. Pedregon gets into the bottom of the field in #14 and Wilkerson has some numbers to tune to.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.893 sec., 330ft-2.344, 660ft-3.343/258.96 mph.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.329, 660ft-3.356/251.77 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.057/312.13, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.055/314.09, Was #4
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 5.971/117.64, Now #17; No Prior Run

Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 5.654.

Beckman shows big time consistency with another low four second pass that's just 0.002 slower than yesterday. He will stay number four for now.

Lee's car was a little lazy off the line, dropped a cylinder and moved towards the wall. He clicks it early.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.399/203.95, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.048/309.27, Was #3
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.121/307.79, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.089/306.05, Was #10

There was a quick sweep in both lane and we are back to qualifying.

DeJoria leaves with a strong 0.075 sixty foot time and then drops a cylinder to push the Camry close to the wall. She wisely lifts.

Head's WSM Auctioneers Funny Car runs clean to the finish line. No ET improvement, but a much better speed.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.302, 660ft-3.318/231.75 mph.
Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.334, 660ft-3.326/260.36 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 9.284/71.96, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.030/314.24, Was #2
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.079/312.78, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.089/306.33, Was #9

Hight gets away first and starts to shake the tires.

Capps improves on yesterday's best with a clean pass right on down the track. It's quicker and faster, but he will stay #9 for now. Just 0.001 slower that #8!

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.298/266.32 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 7.945/83.26, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.990/317.79, Was #1
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 5.136/145.74, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.078/306.60, Was #8

Too much power for both cars. Force is done early and Tasca just after the 330 lights.

3:19 p.m. Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 5.654.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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