Fri, 19 Sep 2014, 15:07 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Ro Yale Runs 6.315/171.27, Now #1

1:34 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.36 inches, adjusted altitude 3,407 feet, track temperature 115 degrees.

Yale gets out of the groove about 400 feet out, drifts toward the centerline, then backs off the throttle about 900 feet out.

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Left Lane: Mark Billington Runs 5.817/247.47, Now #1
Right Lane: Bryan Brown Runs 15.041/72.93, Now #3

Brown goes up in smoke at the hit and backs off the throttle quickly. Billington drifted a little to the left but stayed on the throttle and made a decent pass.

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Left Lane: Nancy Matter Runs 5.974/229.90, Now #3
Right Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.706/252.52, Now #1

Ruckman comes off the line and starts drifting to the left. Matter is a little behind and starts drifting to the right. Ruckman never lifts off the throttle, gets very close to the centerline, but hangs on for a decent pass. matter gets close to the centerline at the end of the track and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 8.635/111.28, Now #6
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.761/252.14, Now #2

Hunter loses traction at the hit, pedals once, then gives up on the run. Bellemeur goes right down the groove and moves into the second spot for now.

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Left Lane: Lance Van Hauen Runs 7.552/172.54, Now #7
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.723/254.95, Now #2

Van Hauen rattled the tires early, gets about 200 feet out and backs off the throttle. Bartone made a clean, straight pass and moves into the second spot for now.

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Left Lane: Nick Januik Runs 10.195/87.15, Now #10
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.986/254.33, Now #6

Januik rattled the tires at the hit and had to give up on the run early. Gasparrelli had to pedal about 200 feet out, then the car settled down and made a decent pass.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.670/255.53, Now #1
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 6.077/183.12, Now #8

Hough goes right down the groove and moves into the top spot for now. Gordon was on a decent pass but slowed about 1000 feet. The engine started smoking at that point but did not put out any oil.

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Left Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 11.116/95.17, Now #14
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.727/254.47, Now #4

Thompson goes up in smoke right off the line and is off the throttle early. Hool goes right down the groove and gets in the field in the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.576/260.71, Now #1
Right Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.672/251.02, Now #3

Lombardo makes an impressive pass, going straight down the groove with the quickest pass of the round so far to move into the top spot. Foster makes a good, clean pass and moves into the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.709/254.71, Now #6
Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.584/261.02, Now #2

Two more good, straight passes here, both right down the groove. Harker moves into the second spot, Westerfield into the sixth with one pair left to run.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 8.688/98.77, Now #18
Right Lane: Dale Brand Runs 5.668/259.61, Now #3

Payne rattles the tires at the hit, makes a quick move toward the wall, then wisely backs off the throttle about 300 feet out. Brand makes a good pass and gets in the third spot to end this session.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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