Sun, 06 Sep 2015, 13:15 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Gerard

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Notes from round 3 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 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: John Force Runs 4.148/285.59, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.090/309.49, Was #9
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.033/317.34, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.064/308.00, Was #8

12:39 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 29.20 inches, adjusted altitude 3,525 feet, track temperature 118 degrees.

The first four pairs are the first round of the Traxxas FC Shootout.

Capps picks up a little ET on a clean pass, but won't move off of the #8 spot.

Force is off the throttle early and slows in the lights.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.330, 660ft-3.329/257.58 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.289, 660ft-3.259/266.64 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.023/315.49, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.153/237.46, Was #10
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.069/313.80, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.971/322.96, Was #2

Great looking pass for Hagan to move two spots up the ladder and into the top half of the field.

Hight has a clean pass, but is off of last nights's pace.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.880 sec., 330ft-2.275, 660ft-3.245/266.06 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.307, 660ft-3.288/264.23 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.052/311.99, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.936/323.74, Was #1
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.113/314.09, Now #11; No Prior Run

Big improvement for Force. She finally gets a full pass to tune to.

Beckman is straight and clean, but doesn't come close to another three second pass. Expected in these conditions.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.893 sec., 330ft-2.296, 660ft-3.270/265.33 mph.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.335, 660ft-3.330/262.74 mph.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.390/276.41, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.976/318.32, Was #3
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.035/317.19, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.998/319.75, Was #5

Johnson was off the line strong and then had to do a quick pedal slap. He stays after it and finishes the run.

Great looking pass for Wilkerson.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.487, 660ft-3.552/249.49 mph.
Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.316, 660ft-3.265/271.52 mph.

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Right Lane: Justin Schriefer Runs 6.780/99.07, Now #14; No Prior Run

Schriefer continues to struggle and is well off his prior pace. He leaves, shakes, spins, and lifts.

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Left Lane: John Bojec Runs 4.211/297.55, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 16.129/29.21, Now #16; No Prior Run

Bode's tires are spinning at the green. He pedals and bangs the blower.

Bojec picks up his pace, but will likely need some more later to stay in the field.

John Bojec's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.393, 660ft-3.392/256.50 mph.

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Left Lane: Chad Head No Time, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: John Hale No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.196/306.88, Was #13

Bob Bode is on the bump spot at 16.129.

Hale has a good leave and then is up in smoke and lifts.

Head isn't in the field and does a quick pedal job after the 330. The car starts a steady move towards the center line and nails both 1000 foot reflectors. Hale's times were DQ'ed too, but he was already in the field.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 9.266/76.76, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.179/288.33, Was #12
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.133/258.42, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.017/305.91, Was #7

The brothers leave together and are just 0.001 different at the 60 foot lights. Tony's tires are smoking about 800 feet out and he lifts.

Cruz powers on down the trank and then lift right before the lights. Stuff on the track.

Cruz Pedregon was charged with an oildown, #5 for the season. That will cost 25 points and $8K.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.290, 660ft-3.268/262.49 mph.

12:53 p.m. Time out for dusting and cleaning after the lights.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.125/308.50, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.000/314.97, Was #6
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.847/162.68, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.978/322.11, Was #4

1:04 p.m. Back to qualifying.

Worsham is away first and has better incrementals until right before the 660 lights. The car gets loose and he has to lift.

DeJoria makes a full pull, but isn't up to her times from last night. Clean pass though.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.334, 660ft-3.330/261.52 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.303, 660ft-3.490/183.57 mph.

Bob Bode is on the bump spot at 16.129.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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