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POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals 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: Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 8.246/84.68, Now #21; No Prior Run Right Lane: Bob Bode No Time, Now #22; Best prior run: 18.203/721.92, Was #21 5:00 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 62 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,499 feet, track temperature 75 degrees. Tommy Johnson is number one at 4.003 and Gary Densham is on the bump spot at
4.136. Last session of the last race of the year. Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.128/150.43, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.107/150.00, Was #20 Right Lane: John Bojec Runs 4.249/298.34, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.235/298.47, Was #18 Westerfield gets a strong start and then has to lift, as the Charger moves quickly towards the guard rail. Bojec runs close to his prior best, but doesn't improve. John Bojec's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.410, 660ft-3.430/253.33 mph. Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.143/306.46, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.136/305.84, Was #16 Capps is not going to make this session and Densham can only be bumped by Diehl, who is up next pair. Densham makes another strong pass, close to his prior best, but will stay on the bump for now. Lots of flames over the roof of the Impala. Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.361, 660ft-3.344/261.07 mph. [5:13 p.m. NHRA pauses qualifying to honor Tony Schumacher's Championship. He is paraded up the track in front of the stands with his huge trophy, lead by a police escort. There is a big presentation ceremony right in front of the Top Eliminator stands.] Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 11.363/79.00, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.196/266.27, Was #17 Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 10.389/59.49, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.126/287.05, Was #14 5:25 p.m. Back to qualifying. Diehl has had an extra few minutes to worry about bumping into the field during the Schumacher presentation. Just what he needed... more pressure! It's all over for both cars right after the green, as lots of tire smoke from both cars to end the attempt. Arend is in the field and Diehl isn't. Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 8.152/81.87, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.134/306.12, Was #15 Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.150/309.20, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.102/313.73, Was #12 The bump is set and the rest of the field is looking to improve. Pedregon strikes the tires right after the sixty foot lights and slows. Wilkerson gets a full pass, but can't improve. He stays number twelve. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.374, 660ft-3.359/262.85 mph. Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.072/312.93, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.126/305.63, Was #13 Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.055/316.60, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.092/313.95, Was #11 We finally get some great times and both cars improve their positions. Tasca was away first in his Ford and ran within 0.003 of Force in sixty feet. He puts the power to the track with a nice ET and MPH. Force got on by down track and jumps two spots up the ladder, missing the top half of the field by about 0.01. Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.324, 660ft-3.295/268.44 mph. Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.313, 660ft-3.280/268.06 mph. Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.325/210.90, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.062/314.97, Was #10 Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 7.733/75.38, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.070/312.93, Was #11 They leave together and run together for a brief time. Head's Toyota strikes the tires before the 330 light. Worsham had a good run going, but the car was loose right after the 660 lights. Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.296, 660ft-3.282/240.77 mph. Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.998/311.41, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.020/314.39, Was #6 Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 7.891/80.84, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.036/317.49, Was #8 If INCENDIO means fire over the roof, then DeJoria's new wrap describes her car as it runs down the track and scores another sub-four second pass for her resume. Her third this year. That is the new top spot on the ladder. Very nice! Hight way off the line first and had a much better sixty foot time, but it was too stout for the track and the tires are smoking right after that. Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.893 sec., 330ft-2.281, 660ft-3.221/273.72 mph. Left Lane: John Force Runs 7.906/85.51, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.015/316.60, Was #5 Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 7.754/77.42, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.029/313.29, Was #7 Beckman can help Hagan by running quicker than Force. Both cars are up in smoke right off the line, so no "Little Points" for Force this session. Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 8.091/85.17, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.011/311.77, Was #4 Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.034/316.01, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.016/319.60, Was #6 Hagan gives it a valiant try for the three bonus points, but come up just a little short with a terrific looking pass. Pedregon was a little quicker to the sixty foot lights but smoked the tires right after that. Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.307, 660ft-3.262/270.75 mph. Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 8.955/73.76, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.003/317.34, Was #2 Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.010/318.02, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.005/317.79, Was #3 Last pair to qualify for 2014. Johnson was renewed for 2015 in the Make-A-Wish car earlier, but gets no joy this time, as the slicks are spinning early in the attempt. Capps makes another strong pass to improve his speed, but will stay number three on his ET. Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.292, 660ft-3.242/270.05 mph. 5:49 p.m. Alexis DeJoria is number one at 3.998 and Gary Densham is on the bump spot at 4.136. Hagan will go into round one tomorrow with a twenty-two point advantage. He and Force are on opposite sides of the ladder.
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