Sat, 26 Sep 2015, 19:36 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest 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: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.196/148.04, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield No Time, Now #18; No Prior Run

5:55 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 29.62 inches, adjusted altitude 2,237 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Westerfield does a burnout, comes to a stop and the engine dies.

Creasy leaves the line, gets about 300 feet out and the engine goes silent, not sure why. He goes through the lights with a quick enough to get him in the show in the 15th spot, for now, bumping out Chad Head.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.153/287.53, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.149/293.98, Was #14
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.046/313.15, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.934/244.34, Was #17

Head was just bumped out and needs to make a clean pass to get back in the show.

head does what he needs to do, right down the groove with a clean pass to get in the ninth spot for now. Pedregon was on a decent pass but the flames turned green a little before he went through the lights and the car slowed.

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Right Lane: Brian Stewart Runs 4.397/252.61, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.729/128.18, Was #17

Stewart is the final non-qualified car to run this round and he needs to run quicker than 5.19 to get in the show.

Stewart gets about 300 feet out, the car starts to get out of control and he has to pedal. The car starts moving around again about 500 feet out, he pedals again and is able to stay on the throttle for the rest of the run. he goes through the lights and makes it into the show, bumping out Creasy.

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Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 8.232/82.74, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.073/305.91, Was #12

DeJoria rattles the tires early, gets about 100 feet out and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.942/321.12, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.053/305.22, Was #10
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.953/325.30, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.058/307.37, Was #11

This was a good-side-by-side, both right down the groove, header flames high and steady all the way through the run. Force makes a career best pass and moves up to the sixth spot. Pedregon makes his best ever pass and moves up to the fourth spot.

There are now ten cars in the three's, the most ever.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.404/199.05, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.994/313.22, Was #9
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.370/209.46, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.998/318.02, Was #10

Hight was on a decent pass but gets about 600 feet out and the flames go out. Wilkerson gets a few feet further and is out of power.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.937/327.19, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.973/322.50, Was #7
Right Lane: John Force Runs 3.986/324.12, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.985/322.42, Was #8

Capps goes right down the groove with a career best pass and moves up to the third spot. Force doesn't improve and will have to race Hight in round one tomorrow.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.560/124.28, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.941/318.54, Was #4
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.907/327.27, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.946/323.43, Was #6

Beckman makes an impressive pass here, right down the groove, and he takes the pole for now. He sets the track ET record, ties the track speed record, makes the fourth quickest pass ever, and ties the third fastest pass ever.

Johnson gets about 400 feet out and strikes the tires.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.883/330.47, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.924/327.27, Was #2
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.899/327.82, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.935/326.79, Was #3

This was a great side-by-side, both right down the groove. Worsham makes the third quickest pass ever and crosses the finish line second as Hagan makes the second quickest pass ever.

Worsham's run is a career best and he moves up to the second spot.

Worsham's run from earlier today was quick enough to back up this run for a national record. Hagan gets the national speed record but his backup from earlier today wasn't quick enough to back up his ET for a record. He will still have a chance to back it up tomorrow but will have to run 3.921 or quicker.

Worsham's run was the fourth fastest run ever.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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