Fri, 26 Oct 2018, 13:58 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 18th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Charles McLaws Runs 5.797/255.10, Now #1
Right Lane: Hunter Jones Runs 5.915/248.52, Now #2

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 28.02 inches, adjusted altitude 3,864 feet, track temperature 91 degrees.

McLaws made a quick move toward the centerline, but reeled it in to make a good pass. Charles McLaws' incremental times: 60ft-1.005 sec., 330ft-2.630, 660ft-3.869/200.20 mph, 1,000ft-4.916.

Jones with a clean pass to start the weekend. Hunter Jones' incremental times: 60ft-1.019 sec., 330ft-2.671, 660ft-3.937/196.76 mph, 1,000ft-5.010.

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Left Lane: Hannes Wernhart No Time, Now #4
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.864/254.18, Now #2

Wernhart with troubles on the burnout. When he started bring the rpms up the car rolled the beams.

Gasparrelli shook and pedaled it.

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Left Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 5.658/256.94, Now #2
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.522/265.38, Now #1

This was a good side-by-side drag race.

Kaplan was straight down the groove. Jirka Kaplan's incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.536, 660ft-3.751/204.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.784.

Leanders kept it hooked up with a nice pass. Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.494, 660ft-3.672/209.72 mph, 1,000ft-4.675.

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Left Lane: Bryan Brown Runs 5.709/260.76, Now #3
Right Lane: Steve Burck Runs 18.688/61.33, Now #7

Brown with a good clean pass. Bryan Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.995 sec., 330ft-2.604, 660ft-3.820/204.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.845.

Burck was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off, coasted on down the track.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.635/258.52, Now #3
Right Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.525/266.37, Now #2

This was a good drag race as they go to two and three on the ladder.

Martin kept it hitting on all eight to go to three. Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.982 sec., 330ft-2.537, 660ft-3.742/205.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.767.

Hough was straight down the groove to the number two spot. Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.490, 660ft-3.677/208.78 mph, 1,000ft-4.680.

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Left Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.594/262.44, Now #3
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.650/216.48, Now #5

Hool launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number three spot. Kris Hool's incremental times: 60ft-0.979 sec., 330ft-2.521, 660ft-3.720/207.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.737.

Lombardo Jr. with a good pass to start the weekend. John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.481, 660ft-3.655/211.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.671.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 9.912/108.88, Now #12
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.482/268.87, Now #1

Payne with tire shake right at the hit and clicked it off.

Gordon launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.467, 660ft-3.646/210.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.644.

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Left Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 5.460/268.81, Now #1
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.599/245.99, Now #6

Marshall kept it hitting on all eight and hooked up to go to the number one spot. Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.454, 660ft-3.628/211.06 mph, 1,000ft-4.622.

Whiteley with a good clean pass to start the weekend. Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.519, 660ft-3.717/208.01 mph, 1,000ft-4.726.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.514/267.27, Now #4
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.475/267.75, Now #2

This was a great drag race to wrap up round one of qualifying.

Westerfield was straight down the groove to the number four spot. Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.485, 660ft-3.670/209.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.672.

Bellemeur clinched the Championship in Charlotte and makes a great pass to go to the number two spot. Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.637/211.30 mph, 1,000ft-4.635.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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