Fri, 11 Nov 2016, 16:32 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

---

Left Lane: Anthony Begley Runs 4.309/233.96, Now #2
Right Lane: Jon Capps Runs 4.093/254.81, Now #1

12:47 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 28.93 inches, adjusted altitude 3,009 feet, track temperature 115 degrees.

A career best ET for Capps at only 254 plus MPH. Nice

Begley was on a good pass until the blower banged about the 660 lights. The engine goes silent, but the chutes don't come out. He rides the brakes hard and just puts the right front wheel into the sand trap! Good job!

Jon Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.284, 660ft-3.224/270.97 mph.

---

Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 3.935/305.36, Now #1
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.408/204.91, Now #4

Arend is filling in for DeJoria this weekend. Her Vegas Two incident let her with concussion symptoms. The car is a little lazy off the lines and is coasting before the 330 lights.

Lee runs a career best ET to set a mark for the field to shot at.

Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.254, 660ft-3.176/279.61 mph.
Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.311, 660ft-3.322/226.81 mph.

---

Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.071/268.33, Now #2

Densham will get a single. The Mustang has a good leave and a clean and straight pass to right at the 660 lights, where the pipes go wet.

---

Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.490/199.35, Now #7
Right Lane: John Bojec Runs 4.029/301.00, Now #2

Bojec makes a clean and straight pass to take over the #2 spot for now.

Bode makes a strong launch, but is coasting before the 660 lights.

Bob Bode's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.378/222.47 mph.
John Bojec's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.302, 660ft-3.249/270.75 mph.

---

Left Lane: Dave Richards Runs 4.611/182.90, Now #8

Richards gets a single and makes a strong half track pass.

---

Left Lane: John Hale Runs 6.907/94.20, Now #10
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.233/226.20, Now #5

The Dunn FC is honoring the vintage Moon Eyes front engine dragster from the early sixties. The wrap on the sides of the Charger use the FC's front and rear wheels to complete the image of the dragster down both sides of the yellow and white scheme. Very nice! Hale leaves well, but is down on power. He lifts early and coasts on down.

Pedregon was on a good pass early and clicked it too.

John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.536, 660ft-4.537/106.40 mph.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.299, 660ft-3.254/253.85 mph.

---

Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 5.583/127.23, Now #10
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 6.502/121.49, Now #11

Two more broken runs.

Wilkerson rattles the tires into smoke early and Head follows about another 100 feet or so down the track.

---

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 5.098/147.04, Now #11
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.953/316.67, Now #2

John Hale is on the bump spot at 6.907.

Force makes a great pass for the conditions into the #2 spot.

Hight has a better 60 foot time, but over powers rhe track right after that.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.266, 660ft-3.197/270.81 mph.

---

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.979/118.36, Now #14
Right Lane: John Force Runs 3.925/326.79, Now #1

Chad Head is on the bump spot at 5.583.

Force put all of the power on the ground and takes over the top spot with a big speed too.

Defending 2015 FC Champion and 2015 Finals FC winner, Worsham matches Force's sixty foot time, but smokes the tries before the 330 lights.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.257, 660ft-3.180/280.37 mph.

---

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.921/326.32, Now #2
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.918/288.15, Now #1

Robert Hight is on the bump spot at 5.098.

We finally get a pair of side by side passes and almost two full passes. TJ's Charger is away first and pulling steadily ahead to near the 1000 foot lights, where he is off the throttle. It's still good enough for the current top spot. He is 113 point behind and needs all of the Little Points he can get.

Clean and straight pass for Beckman into the #2 spot.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.245, 660ft-3.173/278.17 mph.
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.220, 660ft-3.130/281.36 mph.

---

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 6.397/109.08, Now #18
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.883/323.66, Now #1

Hagan's Charger moves hard and then smokes the tires after the 60 foot lights. No Little Points for him. He was 86 points behind going into the session.

Capps is taking no prisoners in his march to the 2016 Championship, with a terrific looking pass to the top of the ladder and three more points. That puts him 89 ahead of Hagan and 111 ahead of Johnson.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.221, 660ft-3.136/281.60 mph.

1:24 p.m. Jeff Arend is on the bump spot at 4.408.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Feb 13- NHRA and FOX Sports Announce TV Schedule for NHRA's 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 12- 75th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 10- Wally Parks 75th Anniversary Appreciation Fund Part of $27 Million Overall Purse
Feb 08- NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Releases 2026 Schedule
Feb 07- Huge List of Legends Set to Appear at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 05- NHRA and Legends Global Extend Merchandise Partnership Ahead of 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 04- Doug Foley Announces Addition of Ron Douglas as Consultant to Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel Team
Feb 04- Tickets Now on Sale for NHRA's Debut at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway
Feb 04- Reed, Zetterström to Share Driving Duties of Reed Trucking & Excavating Top Fuel Dragster
Jan 29- NHRA to Honor Iconic John Force in 2027 with "50 Years Of Force"