Thu, 09 Nov 2017, 18:36 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Hannes Wernhart No Time, Now #2
Right Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 6.012/180.74, Now #1

3:01 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,832 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.

There was a record eight car field last week at the final LODRS event in Las Vegas. That bodes well for a great field here!

Wernhart's Mustang was struggling to hold on the line and finally pulled through the beams. He doesn't get any times on what looked to be a good starting pass.

Williamson Corvette was on a strong pass until near the 1000 foot lights and abruptly slowed.

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Left Lane: Robert Turner Runs 16.224/41.63, Now #3
Right Lane: Chip Beverett Runs 5.563/263.46, Now #1

Turner's Mustang was spinning the tires hard off the line and then did a big move towards the center line, as he lifted.

Beverett has a little shake off the line and still makes a strong pass.

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Left Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 10.736/79.93, Now #3
Right Lane: Nick Januik Runs 14.876/70.08, Now #4

Two broken passes.

Januik's Camaro spins hard at the green and he is quickly off the throttle and coasting.

Ruckman gets a little further down track and has a bunch of shake and spin. He lifts and is coasting too.

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Left Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 5.616/265.43, Now #3
Right Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.530/266.79, Now #1

Hough is strong early and pulls right on down the track to capture the top spot for now.

Marshall may have done a little pedal slap at the 2-3 shift and runs up into the #3 spot.

Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.546, 660ft-3.751/206.64 mph, 1,000ft-4.765.
Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.499, 660ft-3.684/209.49 mph, 1,000ft-4.685.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.637/260.51, Now #5
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.482/267.00, Now #1

Two strong passes and Leanders flies off the line and pulls steadily ahead to takeover the top spot on a clean and straight pass into our first five forty pass.

No issues for Martin and he takes over #5 for now.

Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.994 sec., 330ft-2.553, 660ft-3.753/207.15 mph, 1,000ft-4.774.
Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.469, 660ft-3.642/211.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.640.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 8.246/108.47, Now #8
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 7.015/183.10, Now #7

Lots of shake and spin for both cars.

They pedal and power again a couple of times each. Gasparrelli stays on it longer to take #7 for now.

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Left Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.603/263.31, Now #4
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 10.945/97.40, Now #11

Lots of darting around off the line for Hool and he stays with it for a full pass into the current top four.

Bellemeur has a lot of shake and lifts early.

Kris Hool's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.526, 660ft-3.730/207.21 mph, 1,000ft-4.747.

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Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.439/272.61, Now #1
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 6.243/173.23, Now #9

Gordon's Camaro leaves hard and drifts steadily out of the groove towards the wall. He slowly starts to pull it back into the center and finally gives it up.

Terrific pass for Whiteley and she powers her Camaro into the latest #1 position with ease!

Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.471, 660ft-3.635/214.18 mph, 1,000ft-4.614.

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Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.614/222.62, Now #6
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 10.281/87.27, Now #13

Last pair and a good one!

Westerfield is the new 2017 Alcohol Funny Car Champion, but is off the throttle way early and coasting.

Lombardo is away strong and pulling hard until right after the 1000 foot lights. There is a flash/bang from the engine and he slows. Still good enough to get into the top half of the field.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.495, 660ft-3.660/213.67 mph, 1,000ft-4.659.
Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-3.050, 660ft-5.369/097.08 mph, 1,000ft-7.834.

3:26 p.m. Annie Whiteley is number one at 5.439. Nick Januik is on the bump spot with an 14.876 ET.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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