Sat, 14 Oct 2017, 16:03 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 32nd annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals 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: Robert Schwab Runs 6.203/114.12, Now #16; No Prior Run

2:17 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 29.41 inches, adjusted altitude 3,437 feet, track temperature 122 degrees.

This is Schwab's first race since Sonoma, 2005.

Schwab leaves the line and goes into a little tire shake. The car starts drifting to the right, he starts hazing the tires and backs off the throttle. He runs quick enough to get in the field on the bump spot for now.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 5.811/203.28, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.137/90.38, Was #17

Diehl gets about 300 feet out and blows the engine and leaves a trail of oil down the track. he runs quick enough to get in the field on the bump, knocking out Schwab.

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Left Lane: Todd Simpson Runs 10.050/76.28, Now #19; Best prior run: 8.829/56.42, Was #18
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.006/322.42, Now #10; Best prior run: 9.019/72.79, Was #19

Simpson hits the throttle and goes up in smoke.

Todd drifts a little to the left late in the run but stays on the throttle and makes a decent pass to get in the field in the tenth spot.

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Left Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 4.138/304.67, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.311/136.77, Was #16
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.975/327.66, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.471/191.00, Was #15

Hight goes right down the groove with a clean, straight pass to move up to the ninth spot for now. Campbell had a cylinder out early but he stayed on the throttle and moved up to the 13th spot in the order.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 7.302/85.88, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.928/331.94, Was #5
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.991/324.51, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.283/211.03, Was #16

Force hits the throttle, gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke.

Hagan goes right down the groove with a clean pass to get off of the bump and up to the 11th spot.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.716/176.60, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.947/319.67, Was #8
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.988/328.30, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.255/216.69, Was #16

DeJoria was on a decent pass, then gets about 300 feet out and the car noses over, not sure why.

Pedregon goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and he gets off of the bump and into the 11th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.622/125.25, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.930/327.59, Was #6
Right Lane: John Force Runs 3.957/327.90, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.215/221.31, Was #16

Johnson gets about 300 feet out, hazes the tires and backs off the throttle. Force makes his quickest pass of the weekend and gets off of the bump and into the ninth spot.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.769/168.60, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.909/326.00, Was #4
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.216/142.94, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.118/252.05, Was #15

Worsham gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires and backs off the throttle. Wilkerson gets about 400 feet out, loses traction and gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 6.907/89.47, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.873/332.34, Was #2
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.968/323.43, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.941/320.43, Was #7

Beckman gets off the line, gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Tasca goes right down the groove with a decent pass but he doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.729/127.50, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.872/329.58, Was #1
Right Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 4.590/185.28, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.873/328.14, Was #3

Capps gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. Lindberg was on a decent pass but loses traction about 600 feet out and aborts the run.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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