Sat, 12 Nov 2016, 14:06 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 52nd 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:

---

Right Lane: Stefan Kontos Runs 5.895/245.72, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.538/215.44, Was #22

10:22 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 28.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,683 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Jonnie Lindberg is number one at 5.40 and Cody Perkins is on the bump spot at 5.726.

Kontos will need better than a career best to get into the field. He makes a clean and straight pass, but can only move up two spots on the ladder. This is his first full pass.

Stefan Kontos' incremental times: 60ft-1.004 sec., 330ft-2.628, 660ft-3.899/193.99 mph, 1,000ft-4.985.

---

Left Lane: Mike Drake No Time, Now #25; Best prior run: 10.991/109.11, Was #25
Right Lane: Chris Marshall No Time, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.108/166.99, Was #22

Marshall gets way loose and drives hard across the track and nails the 330 reflector. That will DQ his final chance to get into the field.

Drake was long gone and safe, but he left before the tree and doesn't get a time either.

---

Left Lane: Johan Lindberg Runs 5.478/262.85, Now #2; Best prior run: 9.884/86.42, Was #24
Right Lane: Chip Beverett Runs 5.658/261.83, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.786/258.52, Was #18

10:32 a.m. Back to qualifying after some dusting and cleaning on the track.

Lindberg finally gets to the finish line under power and runs a career best ET and speed to bump into the new #2 spot.

Beverett makes a strong pass to just miss the bump by -0.004!

Johan Lindberg's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.457, 660ft-3.630/211.36 mph, 1,000ft-4.630.
Chip Beverett's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.557, 660ft-3.770/205.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.796.

---

Left Lane: Bryan Brown Runs 5.582/262.23, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.713/150.88, Was #24
Right Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 5.770/254.04, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.783/251.06, Was #19

Brian Hough is on the bump spot at 5.655.

Brown finally gets a full pass too and he runs near a career best ET and a career best speed to get into the new #12 spot.

Wernhart makes another clean pass, but loses a spot to Brown.

Bryan Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.499, 660ft-3.701/206.61 mph, 1,000ft-4.722.
Hannes Wernhart's incremental times: 60ft-1.055 sec., 330ft-2.615, 660ft-3.838/202.45 mph, 1,000ft-4.885.

---

Left Lane: Robert Turner Runs 14.838/41.27, Now #23; Best prior run: 5.981/236.42, Was #23
Right Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 5.688/254.14, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.726/250.23, Was #19

Nick Januik is on the bump spot at 5.608.

Turner shakes and lifts.

Strong pass for Perkins and he too will be watching round one this afternoon.

Cody Perkins' incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.543, 660ft-3.759/203.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.803.

---

Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.574/259.96, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.789/255.29, Was #21
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.560/259.21, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.598/256.80, Was #15

Two strong passes and Bellemeur moves way up the ladder to the #12 spot.

Payne tunes it up and goes to #10.

Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.693/207.40 mph, 1,000ft-4.711.
Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.491, 660ft-3.684/207.40 mph, 1,000ft-4.699.

---

Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 10.652/76.16, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.655/261.02, Was #18
Right Lane: Mike Doushgounian No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.598/261.88, Was #16

Mike Doushgounian is now on the bump spot at 5.598 and needs to step it up. No joy though, as he is up in smoke early and then stops on the track.

Hough's Camaro sounded like he was doing another burnout, as the tires are smoking hard at the green.

---

Left Lane: Nick Januik Runs 5.591/257.28, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.608/255.68, Was #17
Right Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 11.014/75.92, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.566/262.90, Was #11

Januik is the last car that can bump in. It's a nail biter for the crew. He powers on down the track and just bumps in by 0.007. This is now the quickest TAFC show ever and the first in the five fifties!

Thompson was already in the field and over powers the track early.

Nick Januik's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.687/203.68 mph, 1,000ft-4.718.

---

Left Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 5.524/258.96, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.585/261.78, Was #15
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.459/270.05, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.553/265.59, Was #9

Great side by side right to the finish line.

The number 8 position is now 5.550 and Gordon is #9 at 5.553. He flies on down the track to jump into the forties and his fist pass over 270 MPH.

Hunter Is right behind him and does take the new #8 spot for now on a great looking pass.

Greg Hunter's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.455, 660ft-3.642/208.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.657.
Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.462, 660ft-3.635/211.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.625.

---

Left Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.500/267.53, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.578/265.43, Was #14
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.498/265.69, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.550/264.44, Was #10

These two run career best ET's to jump way up into the top half of the field in the latest #4 and %5 spot.

WOW!

Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.480, 660ft-3.660/209.92 mph, 1,000ft-4.658.
Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.466, 660ft-3.645/210.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.652.

---

Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 8.018/142.57, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.541/263.77, Was #11
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 12.623/96.42, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.522/270.92, Was #9

Whiteley swings for the fence and smokes the tires. Gasparrelli gets a little further before shaking hard.

---

Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.483/270.16, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.507/270.16, Was #7
Right Lane: DJ Cox Jr. Runs 5.479/268.28, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.515/265.80, Was #8

...and the hits keep on coming. The TAFC's are making the best of the great weather conditions this morning.

A career best ET and speed for Cox and the new #4 position on a straight and clean pass.

Lombardo has the power too and runs right behind him to move up two positions to #5.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.497, 660ft-3.665/212.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.651.
DJ Cox Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.465, 660ft-3.643/210.24 mph, 1,000ft-4.640.

---

Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.522/268.65, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.500/253.37, Was #8
Right Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 7.556/125.10, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.440/269.73, Was #1

Lindberg has to pedal right off the line and can't improve.

Westerfield runs close to his weekend best and finds a little more speed to stay #8.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.683/210.54 mph, 1,000ft-4.682.
Jonnie Lindberg's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.519, 660ft-4.120/138.16 mph, 1,000ft-5.848.

11:02 a.m. Nick Januik is on the bump spot at 5.591.

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"