Fri, 26 Oct 2018, 20:22 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 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 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: Robert Turner Runs 7.014/139.13, Now #16; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 27.91 inches, adjusted altitude 4,477 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Turner was on a good looking pass until the car made a quick move toward the wall on the top end.

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Left Lane: Steve Burck Runs 6.105/197.19, Now #17; Best prior run: 18.688/61.33, Was #17
Right Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 5.816/249.81, Now #14; No Prior Run

Burck made a move in the right direction, but comes up short. Steve Burck's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.549, 660ft-3.857/188.78 mph, 1,000ft-5.030.

Wernhart is straight down the groove into the show. Hannes Wernhart's incremental times: 60ft-1.016 sec., 330ft-2.607, 660ft-3.853/199.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.916.

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Left Lane: Hunter Jones Runs 8.202/117.69, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.915/248.52, Was #16
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 10.961/77.29, Now #19; No Prior Run

Jones started to shake and pedaled it, but couldn't get it to hook up and clicked it off.

Payne with tire shake early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.807/256.60, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.864/254.18, Was #15
Right Lane: Charles McLaws Runs 5.771/254.52, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.797/255.10, Was #13

Gasparrelli is straight down the groove to move up the ladder one spot. Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.608, 660ft-3.878/198.64 mph, 1,000ft-4.928.

McLaws with good pass and improves, but will stay in the number 13 spot. Charles McLaws' incremental times: 60ft-1.021 sec., 330ft-2.603, 660ft-3.841/200.05 mph, 1,000ft-4.888.

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Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.555/239.57, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.650/216.48, Was #10
Right Lane: Bryan Brown Runs 18.082/40.32, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.709/260.76, Was #12

Lombardo Jr. launched hard and made a good looking pass to move into the top half of the show. John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.475, 660ft-3.647/211.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.657. Lombardo Jr.'s engine let go after the finish line.

Brown with tire shake early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 12.709/68.95, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.599/245.99, Was #9
Right Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 5.593/261.37, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.658/256.94, Was #11

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

Kaplan kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to move into the top half of the show. Jirka Kaplan's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.508, 660ft-3.711/206.89 mph, 1,000ft-4.732.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.560/264.34, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.525/266.37, Was #6
Right Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.618/256.80, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.635/258.52, Was #11

Hough with another good run but will not improve. Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.516, 660ft-3.703/208.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.710.

Martin is straight down the groove with his quickest pass, but will stay in the number 11 spot. Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.514, 660ft-3.720/205.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.748.

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Left Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.539/263.05, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.522/265.38, Was #5
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.621/259.66, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.594/262.44, Was #9

Leanders with another great pass, but will not improve. Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.491, 660ft-3.675/208.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.685.

Hool was straight down the groove...Kris Hool's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.515, 660ft-3.725/205.72 mph, 1,000ft-4.754.

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Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.514/266.00, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.482/268.87, Was #3
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.546/265.38, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.514/267.27, Was #4

Gordon was hitting on all eight, but will not improve. Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.477, 660ft-3.664/209.26 mph, 1,000ft-4.668.

Westerfield with a good clean pass, but will not improve. Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.499, 660ft-3.690/208.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.698.

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Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.495/265.90, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.475/267.75, Was #2
Right Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 5.488/266.32, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.460/268.81, Was #1

This is a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up day one of Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying.

Neither driver will improve, but they run the two quickest pass of the session.

Bellemeur is straight down the groove with the second quickest pass of the session and will stay in the number two spot. Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.457, 660ft-3.641/209.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.648.

Marshall launched hard and kept it hooked up with the quickest pass of the round. Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.456, 660ft-3.640/208.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.642.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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