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Fri, 04 Aug 2017, 19:34 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

KENT, Wash. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual NHRA Northwest 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:

Left Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 5.745/256.75, Now #10; No Prior Run

3:56 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 92 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 29.48 inches, adjusted altitude 3,262 feet, track temperature 133 degrees.

Field not filled, no bump spot. Annie Whiteley is number one at 5.538.

Kaplan was up in smoke at the green in session one and then DQ'ed after that. He gets to the finish line under power this time and into the #10 spot. Safe pass.

Jirka Kaplan's incremental times: 60ft-0.989 sec., 330ft-2.600, 660ft-3.828/203.03 mph, 1,000ft-4.868.

Left Lane: Randy Parker No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 12.716/109.77, Was #13
Right Lane: Nick Januik Runs 6.625/160.42, Now #11; Best prior run: 11.224/74.64, Was #12

Well, that went from bad to worst for Januik. He gets off the line OK, but is quickly pumping the pedal. He stays after it and the Camaro drifts over and takes out the 660 foot reflectors. He then tries to pull back into his lane and takes out the 1000 foot reflector.

Parker hit the throttle and the car shuttered hand and just stopped on the track, not even getting to the 60 foot lights.

Bad session for both drivers.

4:09 p.m. Time for some dusting and cleaning.

Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 8.852/125.30, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.649/262.03, Was #8
Right Lane: Chip Beverett Runs 7.949/155.88, Now #12; Best prior run: 11.045/84.42, Was #12

4:11 p.m. Back to qualifying. The track is up to 136 degrees now!

Beverett has traction problems right off the line again at the green.

Gasparrelli's Camaro starts to shake hard right around the 60 foot lights and then is up in smoke.

Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.597/266.48, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.641/265.48, Was #7
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.680/259.06, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.710/258.96, Was #9

We finally get a pair down the track and they both make improvements over session one.

Hough gets the better part of it and moves two spots up the ladder just missing the top four by about a hundredth.

Bellemeur finds a little tune up too and will stay #9 for now.

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.986 sec., 330ft-2.558, 660ft-3.749/209.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.752.
Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.564, 660ft-3.781/203.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.812.

Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.551/264.13, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.623/262.95, Was #6
Right Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.648/262.44, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.629/264.29, Was #7

Great looking pass for Payne and a four position improvement right up into the new #2 spot.

Ruckman got a huge advantage off the line and holds off Payne for a while. His Camaro is a little soft and he slows just a tad to stay #7 for now.

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.692/208.33 mph, 1,000ft-4.701.
Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.557, 660ft-3.768/205.32 mph, 1,000ft-4.790.

Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.528/268.17, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.561/265.53, Was #3
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 9.185/95.37, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.586/264.75, Was #5

Westerfield is away first by a bunch and runs close to Gordon to near the 330 lights, he is off the throttle right after that and slowing.

Gordon takes it right on down the track on a strong pass to take over the top spot with the second fastest speed.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.501, 660ft-3.690/209.59 mph, 1,000ft-4.689.
Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.695, 660ft-4.731/107.78 mph, 1,000ft-6.957.

Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.528/268.01, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.538/269.67, Was #2
Right Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 8.058/124.93, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.561/261.72, Was #4

The right lane claims another victim. Marshall is in trouble right at the 60 foot lights and coasting.

Whiteley powers on ahead and runs straight and clean t the finish line. She matches Gordon's ET, but loses the top spot on speed by 0.16 MPH!

Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.516, 660ft-3.697/211.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.690.
Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.733, 660ft-4.581/124.69 mph, 1,000ft-6.349.

4:28 p.m. Doug Gordon stays number one. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink