Sat, 05 Sep 2015, 18:05 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 61st annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Justin Schriefer Runs 5.910/116.48, Now #1

5:18 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 29.17 inches, adjusted altitude 3,562 feet, track temperature 119 degrees.

A tough session for TF. Hopefully, FC will be better.

Schriefer makes his first pass of the season and clicks it early, before the 660 lights.

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Left Lane: John Bojec Runs 4.308/278.17, Now #1
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 5.765/120.75, Now #2

Bode gets a great backup by his wife Alice in her eye searing PINK boots! The Camry gets a good leave and runs well until just before the 660 lights where the engine goes quiet.

Nice clean and straight pass for Bojec to tune to later.

John Bojec's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.427, 660ft-3.459/248.61 mph.
Bob Bode's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.386, 660ft-3.939/137.78 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.282/284.62, Now #1
Right Lane: John Hale No Time, Now #5

Hale double steps the throttle and then has the chutes come out.He stops the car on the track and has to be pushed to the top end.

Pedregon gets a full pass and takes the current top spot, but there is a lot of smoke from the engine right at the lights.

5:24 p.m. Tony Pedregon was charged with an oildown, #5 for the season. That will cost 25 points and $8K.

Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.399, 660ft-3.433/248.25 mph.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 9.792/66.26, Now #6
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.848/162.90, Now #3

5:35 p.m. Back to qualifying.

Head leaves hard and then has the slicks up in smoke immediately. The car gets way sideways and he has to lift.

Force has good number down low, but has her Camaro's tires spinning before the 330 lights.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.998/155.63, Now #5
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.801/166.56, Now #3

DeJoria comes into today qualifying as the defending Champion from 2014.

Both cars are strong with great early numbers and then strike the tires almost together about the 330 lights.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.751/169.25, Now #4
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.678/178.99, Now #3

Hight is away first and has better initial numbers, but strikes the tires right before the 660 foot light.

Wilkerson's Mustang runs well early too, and he join Hight, smoking the tire at the 660 lights.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.064/308.00, Now #1
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.125/305.22, Now #2

The crew chiefs have had a change to see what the prior teams have done and made their adjustments.

Worsham gets away first and runs clean to the lights with a 300 plus MPH into the number two spot.

Capps has better incrementals and powers into the top spot in style.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.883 sec., 330ft-2.291, 660ft-3.273/263.92 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.338, 660ft-3.327/262.23 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.090/309.49, Now #2
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.117/303.23, Now #3

Chad Head is on the bump spot at 9.792.

...and the hits keep coming. They leave close together and run on down the track side by side to the finish line and Force gets the #2 and Johnson the #3 positions on the ladder. Lots of smoke past the lights.

5:48 p.m. John Force was charged with an oildown, #4 for the season. That will cost 20 points and $6K.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.327, 660ft-3.303/265.38 mph.
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.342, 660ft-3.318/263.26 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.954/152.95, Now #12
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.282/225.82, Now #6

5:57 p.m. Back to qualifying. Bob Bode is on the bump spot at 5.765.

The two quickest Funny Car drivers come to the line.

They leave together and run together until right after the 330 lights. Hagan spins the tires first and Beckman follows before the 660 lights.

6:00 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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