Sat, 14 Nov 2015, 17:11 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Auto Club 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:

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.384/141.21, Now #13; No Prior Run

1:23 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 28.81 inches, adjusted altitude 2,629 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Tommy JOhnson is number one at 3.917.

Haddock has a strong leave and then the engine has all of the pipes go wet right after the 330 lights.

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Left Lane: John Hale Runs 8.246/79.33, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.286/276.97, Now #12; No Prior Run

Hale has a weird short burnout with a strange sound from the engine. He has better times off the line and then lifts before the 330 lights.

Lee runs to after the 660 lights and slows too. He will get into the #12 spot for now.

John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.793, 660ft-5.308/083.58 mph.
Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.399, 660ft-3.424/247.20 mph.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.988/323.12, Now #9; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.152/292.08, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.052/308.57, Was #10

Densham didn't make a pass in session two, as he was safely in the top twelve.

Force has struggled with traction on her prior two runs and needs a "Hail Mary" here. No issues this time! The Camaro powers on down the track to jump all the way up to the current #9 spot.

Densham makes a clean pass, but can't improve.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.271, 660ft-3.227/271.84 mph.
Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.343, 660ft-3.333/257.53 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.429/241.24, Now #15; No Prior Run

John Hale is on the bump spot at 8.246.

Arend puts a number on the board into the current #15. The car is driving through the clutch early and started to drop cylinders later.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.433, 660ft-3.505/239.95 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.990/321.73, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.343/209.39, Was #14
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.437/197.94, Now #16; No Prior Run

Terry Haddock is on the bump spot at 5.384.

Force is still looking for a full pass and this would be a good time to score one. His Camaro has good number down low and runs well to the finish line to become the 10th car in the three's. His #10 position should be safe.

Head was on a strong pass until near the 660 lights, where the engine started to drop cylinders. He is on the bump, but in a safe place.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.280, 660ft-3.228/273.39 mph.
Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.879 sec., 330ft-2.278, 660ft-3.318/222.40 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Gibbons Runs 4.593/206.48, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.082/301.20, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.128/261.17, Was #13

Pedregon is away first and makes a clean pass with a little better numbers to stay #13.

Gibbons was making a fair pass until near the 660 light. The pipes went wet and the car started to coast. Shortly after that the car shuddered and banged. The engine bay lit up big time and the fire continued to burn all the way down to near the end of the track. He is quickly out of the car, but there is a big mess on the track. That is his second oil down and it will cost him $2000.

Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.317, 660ft-3.287/265.12 mph.

1:40 p.m. Clean up time on the track.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 11.055/82.57, Now #20; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.011/316.38, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.023/308.43, Was #11



Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 2,843 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

1:53 p.m. Back to qualifying.

Bode strikes the tires at the green and slows.

Strong and straight pass for Wilkerson with a small ET improvement to stay #11 for now.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.291, 660ft-3.239/271.24 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.941/323.89, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.974/324.05, Was #7
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.391/200.95, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.987/318.02, Was #8

Worsham makes the quickest run of the session, so far, and will likely give him some little points towards putting Beckman three rounds behind. The Camry runs strong, up three positions into the top four for now.

DeJoria was on a good run early and then slowed down track.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.246, 660ft-3.184/275.22 mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.289, 660ft-3.294/228.00 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.953/316.23, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.955/318.09, Was #5
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.945/324.20, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.965/319.52, Was #7

A great side by side pair of runs right on down the track. They left close together and finished close together.

Hight gets the best of it, moving around Pedregon and pushing him back a spot to number six.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.248, 660ft-3.182/273.16 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.253, 660ft-3.190/276.18 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.991/322.04, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.923/329.50, Was #2
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.966/320.13, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.964/319.29, Was #7

Another strong three ninety six pass for Beckman to stay #7.

Hagan was right with him until right before the lights, where the Charger slowed a little.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.278, 660ft-3.230/271.41 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.260, 660ft-3.202/273.39 mph.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.932/321.96, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.917/324.67, Was #1
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.954/322.34, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.937/325.69, Was #3

Johnson continues to show dominance with another powerful pass to make the quickest pass of the session.

Capps makes another strong pass too to stay #3.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.239, 660ft-3.173/275.45 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.245, 660ft-3.193/271.35 mph.

2:07 p.m. Chad Head is on the bump spot at 4.437.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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