Thu, 12 Nov 2015, 18:15 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Robert Turner Runs 19.657/39.90, Now #1
Right Lane: Mike Drake No Time, Now #2

2:25 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 20 percent, barometer 28.87 inches, adjusted altitude 2,521 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Drake was shaking hard off the line. He pumps the pedal and then starts a steady move towards the centerline. He nails the 660 reflector and then has problems getting the car to stop. He noses into the beach to add insult to injury.

Turner does another burnout at the green and is quickly off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Chip Beverett Runs 10.266/110.18, Now #2
Right Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 5.677/255.58, Now #1

2:30 p.m. Back to qualifying.

Beverett's team is running "The Woz's" Funny Car. The left lane claims another victim, as the car shakes a little and then goes up in smoke.

Wernhart runs a career best speed with near a season best ET to set a mark for the field.

Hannes Wernhart's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.525, 660ft-3.752/201.85 mph, 1,000ft-4.795.

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Left Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 5.518/264.86, Now #1
Right Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 6.893/155.90, Now #3

Nothing wrong with the left lane! Thompson makes a stellar career best ET and speed to show how it has to be done.

Marshall got away a little lazy. The car started to smoke a little down track and then there was a Big Bang from the blower down track.

Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.484, 660ft-3.665/210.31 mph, 1,000ft-4.668.
Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-1.074 sec., 330ft-2.808, 660ft-4.199/175.32 mph, 1,000ft-5.537.

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Left Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 6.048/205.44, Now #4
Right Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.582/260.81, Now #2

They left close together and ran close together until near half track. Hunter's engine starts to smoke and he slows.

Ruckman runs his career best ET and speed and slides into the number two spot on a strong pass.

Greg Hunter's incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.581, 660ft-3.872/190.22 mph, 1,000ft-5.005.
Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.497, 660ft-3.695/206.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.718.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.768/210.11, Now #5
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.589/259.46, Now #3

Again, they leave and run side by side to near the top end this time. Gasparrelli's engine isn't happy on the top end and mosquito abatement commences big time.

Strong pass for Bellemeur into the new #3 spot for now.

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.508, 660ft-3.711/205.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.764.
Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.498, 660ft-3.698/206.67 mph, 1,000ft-4.722.

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Left Lane: Nick Januik Runs 5.640/235.80, Now #4
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 10.587/75.64, Now #10

Leanders shakes, spins, and lifts off the line.

Januik has on a strong pass untile near the lights and his engine goes Bang with a bunch of smoke from the engine. No stuff on the track though. Still good enough for the current #4 spot.

Nick Januik's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.700/204.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.734.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.539/263.46, Now #2
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.557/261.62, Now #3

We finally get another pir of cars through the lines together.

Hough cards a career best speed to move into the #2 spot and Payne is right behind him to take the current #3 spot.

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.484, 660ft-3.677/208.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.686.
Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.497, 660ft-3.686/208.10 mph, 1,000ft-4.702.

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Left Lane: Kris Hool No Time, Now #16
Right Lane: Mickey Ferro Runs 5.457/271.19, Now #1

Hool's car shutters through the lights before the green and won't get a time. He is quickly off the throttle and idles on down.

Ferro isn't idling, as he runs his career best times and scores the first four and two seventy times of the weekend. New top spot. WOW!

Mickey Ferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.465, 660ft-3.634/212.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.625.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 9.691/89.58, Now #13
Right Lane: Todd Veney Runs 5.976/202.09, Now #10

Westerfield is off the throttle early and coasting. Veney has on a strong pass until the car make a hard move down track and he lifted.

Todd Veney's incremental times: 60ft-1.004 sec., 330ft-2.602, 660ft-3.837/198.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.924.

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Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.510/265.74, Now #3
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.493/273.22, Now #2

Robert Turner is on the bump spot at 19.657.

Two "Forty" runners here and Lombardo doesn't disappoint with a new number two spot run..

Gordon slowed a little on the top end and be will be number three for now.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.477, 660ft-3.661/209.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.665.
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.511, 660ft-3.683/212.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.667.

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Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.463/266.48, Now #2
Right Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 5.473/266.32, Now #3

Chip Beverett is on the bump spot at 10.266.

Two great side by side passes and two more changes to the #2 and #3 spots.

Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.446, 660ft-3.622/211.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.619.
Jonnie Lindberg's incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.464, 660ft-3.637/211.99 mph, 1,000ft-4.630.

2:59 p.m. Mickey Ferro is number one at 5.457 and Chris Marshall is on the bump spot at 6.893.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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