Fri, 27 Oct 2017, 21:05 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 17th annual NHRA Toyota 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:

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.641/189.98, Now #12; No Prior Run

5:22 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 27.81 inches, adjusted altitude 4,512 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Diehl did not make a pass in the first round.

Diehl gets about 500 feet out and something in the engine comes loose. A fire erupts inside of the car, he goes through the lights and the fire is extinguished. he runs well enough to get in the field in the 12th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 3.999/317.87, Now #4; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.257/275.28, Now #11; No Prior Run

Densham goes right down the groove with a good pass and he gets in the show in the fourth spot for now. Bode was on a decent pass but the car nosed over early and he slowed. He runs quick enough to get in the field in the 11th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Tim Gibbons Runs 6.184/114.67, Now #19; Best prior run: 15.520/66.20, Was #19
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.867/329.50, Now #1; Best prior run: 8.006/77.86, Was #18

Gibbons hits the throttle and starts drifting to the right. he gets about 400 feet out and the car noses over.

Beckman goes right down the groove with an impressive pass, tying the track ET record and moving into the top spot for now.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.878/331.77, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.041/148.05, Was #17
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.880/329.99, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.460/130.52, Was #18

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove. Force improves and moves up to the second spot, Hight up to the third spot.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.927/326.71, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.807/168.66, Was #18

DeJoria makes a decent pass and improves to the sixth spot. She drifts to the left near the end of the run, then scrapes the wall in the shutdown area.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.021/286.74, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.308/212.63, Was #16
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.953/287.60, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.035/280.54, Was #12

Worsham was on a good pass but started drifting to the left. he gets about 700 feet out and has to click it off. Johnson goes right down the groove but the car noses over about 900 feet out, not sure why.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.884/330.23, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.177/247.97, Was #15
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 8.233/119.26, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.029/302.55, Was #13

Todd goes right down the groove with a good pass and he moves up to the fourth spot in the order. Wilkerson went up in smoke at the hit and he had to give up on the run quickly.

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Left Lane: Jim Campbell No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.117/302.62, Was #15
Right Lane: John Force No Time, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.013/302.82, Was #12

This was a wild one. Force starts drifting to the left early in the run, crosses the centerline and takes out the timing block at the end of the track. He crosses over in front of Campbell, Campbell pulls the chutes and steers it to the right. Force starts to move back to the right and narrowly misses Campbell.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.929/330.88, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.008/321.19, Was #11
Right Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 6.982/88.37, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.937/322.50, Was #8

Hagan goes down the groove with a decent pass and moves up to the eighth spot. Lindberg has problems and is off the throttle early.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 6.597/103.02, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.916/325.06, Was #5
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.897/329.67, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.919/329.26, Was #6

Capps hits the throttle, gets about 100 feet out and goes up in smoke. Pedregon goes right down the groove and improves, moving up to the fifth spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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