Fri, 10 Nov 2017, 16:22 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in 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: Jeff Arend Runs 4.140/252.90, Now #1
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 5.692/125.80, Now #2

12:42 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 28.85 inches, adjusted altitude 2,451 feet, track temperature 100 degrees.

Hight and Capps are just 15 points apart, with 4-3-2-1 points for each round of qualifying. Tomorrow, end of day, will tell whether Capps gets closer of further away. 30 points a round for winners will also come into play.

Two good leaves and two early shutoffs.

Bode was done early with dropped cylinders. Arend may have been on a planned shutoff pass, as there didn't seem to be any reason otherwise.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 3.968/319.07, Now #1
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.107/296.31, Now #2

Teachers and surfers come to the line.

They run together down the track for most of the way. Densham pulls steadily ahead and it's a good thing, as his Mustang slides over in front of Diehl after the finish line.

Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.272, 660ft-3.207/274.94 mph.
Jeff Diehl's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.376, 660ft-3.327/272.56 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 7.512/88.46, Now #5
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 7.779/84.77, Now #6

Campbell's Charger is running the classic yellow "Moon Eyes" wrap this weekend.

Two strong leaves, and then two hard tire shakes, and then it's all quiet!

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Left Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 7.119/87.17, Now #6
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.902/329.10, Now #1

DeJoria announced earlier that this will be her last race for now. She gets away first and powers on down the track. Right after the 660 lights the back end does a big wiggle and she drives through it.

Lindberg has a better sixty foot time, but goes into shake and has to lift.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.268, 660ft-3.170/286.44 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 7.748/85.82, Now #8
Right Lane: J.R. Todd No Time, Now #10

Cruiser announced a three year extension on his Snap On sponsorship earlier.

Well, that was weird! Todd's Camry bogged big time as soon as he hit the throttle. Raw fuel out of all of the pipes. He brings the car to a quick stop, but the engine doesn't want to die and keeps surging for quite a while. It finally dies and the team comes out and pushes the car back behind the line.

Pedregon had a strong 60 foot time and then has the tires shaking and smoking.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.913/327.74, Now #3
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.887/314.31, Now #1

Two strong passes to the eighth mile.

Wilkerson's car moves around a bunch and Johnson lifts a little early. They take the current #1 and #3 spots.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.263, 660ft-3.173/283.85 mph.
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.228, 660ft-3.139/282.07 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.955/316.60, Now #4
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 7.606/91.30, Now #11

Hagan gets away first, but the tires get loose and he has to lift.

Force runs it on down and may have shutoff a little early. It's still good enough for the current top four.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.881 sec., 330ft-2.266, 660ft-3.190/275.96 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 6.825/95.35, Now #9
Right Lane: Courtney Force No Time, Now #16

Time out for a big media presentation for the Taylor Swift wrap on Courtney Force's Camaro.

Beckman's Infinite Hero Charger powers the tires loose right off the line and he has to lift.

Force's Camaro spins hard right at the green, loose a bunch of pipes right after that, and the car goes read sideways across the center line, just missing the 330 reflector. She gets the car back under control and coasts on down without further drama.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 6.107/113.64, Now #9
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 8.347/82.85, Now #16

It would be magic to see these two side by side late Sunday afternoon!

Unfortunately, neither driver will gain any "small points", as they are done early.

Capps leaves first and gets well past the 60 foot lights before smoking the tire.

Hight's Camaro was smoking hard before that and is coasting early.

1:14 p.m. Tommy Johnson is number one at 3.887 and Robert Hight is on the bump spot at 8.347.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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