Sat, 20 Sep 2014, 16:02 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 3 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 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: Nancy Matter Runs 12.951/65.24, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.974/229.90, Was #18
Right Lane: Bryan Brown Runs 6.527/235.39, Now #21; Best prior run: 15.041/72.93, Was #21
2:13 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.41 inches, adjusted altitude 3,402 feet, track temperature 132 degrees.

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Left Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 11.469/69.79, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.947/250.74, Was #17
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.645/258.27, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.077/183.12, Was #19

Hunter shook and clicked it off by 300 feet and he will not get in the show. Gordon launched hard and keep it hooked up to go from outside the show all the way up to the number four spot. Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.975 sec., 330ft-2.535, 660ft-3.743/205.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.773.

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Left Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 5.702/253.47, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.928/224.81, Was #17
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.750/258.27, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.727/254.47, Was #12

Thompson was s straight down the groove to get in the show. Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.550, 660ft-3.772/202.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.816. Hool with a little wiggle around half track, but reeled it in. He will not improve...and gets bumped back one spot by Thompson.

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Left Lane: Nick Januik Runs 10.699/82.09, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.859/255.43, Was #17
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.656/256.60, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.723/254.95, Was #12

Januik with a lot of tire shake right at the hit, and he stays with it, but can't get it to hook up before he finally lifts. He will not get in the show. Bartone with a real nice pass as he is straight down the groove to get into the top half of the show. Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.979 sec., 330ft-2.537, 660ft-3.745/204.54 mph, 1,000ft-4.780.

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Left Lane: Mark Billington Runs 8.839/102.17, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.815/248.07, Was #16
Right Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.708/253.23, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.706/252.52, Was #12

Billington starts to shake and clicks it off. Ruckman is just a couple ticks off his qualifying time with another good pass.

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Left Lane: Lance Van Hauen Runs 5.835/248.02, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.775/247.84, Was #15
Right Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.706/253.18, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.672/251.02, Was #9

Van Hauen with a good pass, but he will not improve. Foster was s straight down the groove with a good looking pass, ut will not improve. Chris Foster's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.548, 660ft-3.772/203.03 mph, 1,000ft-4.818.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 7.169/126.34, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.749/255.29, Was #14
Right Lane: Dale Brand No Time, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.668/259.61, Was #8

Payne with tire shake and he clicked it off. Brand started to get loose and took out the half track cones.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 18.063/42.47, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.683/254.18, Was #10
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.650/255.68, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.654/255.15, Was #6

Westerfield smokes the tires right at the hit and clicks it off. Bellemeur launched heard and was straight down the groove to make his quickest pass of the weekend. He will stay in the number six spot. Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.513, 660ft-3.729/202.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.770.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.671/252.19, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.638/254.71, Was #3
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 9.374/120.14, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.647/257.53, Was #5

Hough with a good clean pass, but he will not improve. Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.527, 660ft-3.740/204.45 mph, 1,000ft-4.782. Gasparrelli smoke the tires right at the hit.

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Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 11.750/82.77, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.535/261.88, Was #1
Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.589/261.72, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.584/261.02, Was #2

Lombardo with a lot of tire shake right at the hit. Harker with another good looking pass, the quickest of the round, but will stay in the number two spot. Steve Harker's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.519, 660ft-3.714/207.34 mph, 1,000ft-4.731.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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