Fri, 26 Oct 2018, 18:29 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, 18th 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 No Time, Now #19; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.968/323.04, Now #6; Best prior run: 15.381/61.50, Was #18

3:00 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 27.93 inches, adjusted altitude 4,483 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Diehl was supposed to make a pass but the crew could not get the engine to fire.

Pedregon goes right down the groove with a clean, straight pass and he moves up to the sixth spot in the order.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 6.283/119.00, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.415/202.55, Was #16
Right Lane: Richard Townsend Runs 4.060/308.50, Now #13; Best prior run: 9.876/78.90, Was #18

Densham gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires and has to give up on the run. Townsend makes a clean, straight pass and he moves up to the 13th spot in the order.

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Left Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 4.921/161.29, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.050/314.24, Was #12
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.301/225.33, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.389/200.65, Was #16

Lindberg gets about 100 feet out and starts hazing the tires. He gets about 300 feet out and gives up on the run. Todd was on a decent pass but the car nosed over about 800 feet out, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.195/228.89, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.009/323.58, Was #10
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 9.464/84.23, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.253/265.74, Was #15

Bode hits the throttle, gets about 200 feet out and goes up in smoke. Capps gets about 600 feet out, strikes the tires and has to give up on the run.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.939/330.23, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.007/300.06, Was #9
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 4.054/312.06, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.103/308.43, Was #14

Force goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the day and he moves up to the fourth spot with the fastest speed of the meet so far. Campbell makes a decent pass and he moves up one spot in the order.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 5.466/132.22, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.970/319.52, Was #9
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.828/164.11, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.022/320.13, Was #11

Tasca gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. hagan gets about 50 feet further, goes up in smoke and gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.928/324.28, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.947/321.65, Was #5
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.997/315.42, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.969/321.27, Was #8

A good side-by-side here, both right down the groove with clean runs. Johnson makes the quickest pass of the round so far and he moves up to the fourth spot. Langdon improves and moves up to the eighth spot.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 6.329/103.47, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.927/328.38, Was #3
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.963/312.42, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.961/320.28, Was #6

Hight gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Wilkerson looked like he may have lost a cylinder just before he crossed the finish line.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.978/322.73, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.922/327.19, Was #1
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.926/325.61, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.926/328.46, Was #2

A couple of good passes to end the session, both go right down the groove with good passes. Beckman doesn't improve but he hangs on to the tops pot. Force equals her run from earlier today.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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