Sat, 06 Oct 2018, 16:59 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, 33rd 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: Jack Wyatt No Time, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Todd Simpson No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.011/121.84, Was #15

3:20 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 90 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 29.33 inches, adjusted altitude 3,748 feet, track temperature 119 degrees.

Simpson leaves the line, gets about 500 feet out and starts drifting to the left. He continues to drift, backs off the throttle, but takes out the timing block at the end of the track. Wyatt went right down the groove with a clean pass but receives no time after Simpson takes out the block.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.553/154.55, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: John Hale Runs 4.103/293.03, Now #12; Best prior run: 8.161/75.13, Was #16

Haddock rattles the tires early, gets about 300 feet out and backs off the throttle. Hale was on a decent pass but it looked like he had problems just before the finish line. Hale improves and moves up to the 12th spot, Haddock gets in on the bump.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.195/250.88, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.867/160.73, Was #15
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.008/319.14, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.047/317.05, Was #9

Hagan gets out of the groove early, starts drifting toward the wall, then backs off the throttle. Langdon goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend. Langdon moves up to the sixth spot, Hagan moves up to 14th.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.182/254.09, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.080/266.58, Was #11
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.066/146.54, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.557/181.57, Was #15

Pedregon gets about 300 feet out, hazes the tires and backs off the throttle. Force gets about 300 feet out, loses a cylinder on the left side, and she doesn't improve from her previous attempt.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.984/323.43, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.013/318.99, Was #8
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.120/263.46, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.045/319.67, Was #9

Hight goes down the groove with a clean pass and he moves up to the fifth spot. Force gets about 600 feet out, loses a cylinder on the left side and the car starts drifting to the left. he gets about 800 feet out and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.139/243.55, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.012/317.05, Was #8
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.991/316.97, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.962/320.05, Was #3

Capps was on a pretty good run for about 700 feet, then the candles go out and he slows. Todd makes a clean pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.061/308.35, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.986/312.57, Was #6
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.025/314.68, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.958/315.64, Was #2

Beckman gets about 500 feet out and loses a cylinder on the left side. Wilkerson makes a clean pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.950/322.27, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.981/319.82, Was #4
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.750/167.76, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.958/323.66, Was #1

Tasca goes right down the groove with an impressive pass to take the top spot for now. Johnson was on a decent pass but struck the tires about 300 feet out.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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