Sat, 27 Oct 2018, 13:47 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from final, round 3 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: Jay Payne Runs 6.488/170.39, Now #19; Best prior run: 10.961/77.29, Was #19
Right Lane: Robert Turner Runs 6.178/235.02, Now #18; Best prior run: 7.014/139.13, Was #18

Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 27.98 inches, adjusted altitude 3,441 feet, track temperature 80 degrees.

Payne shook and pedaled it, but he will not get in the show.

Turner with tire shake right at the hit and pedaled it, but will not get in the show.

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Left Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 5.913/227.46, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.816/249.81, Was #15
Right Lane: Steve Burck Runs 6.179/175.16, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.105/197.19, Was #17

Wernhart slowed on the top end and will not get in the show.

Burck was on a good pass, but slowed on the top end and will not get in the show.

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Left Lane: Charles McLaws Runs 5.712/255.48, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.771/254.52, Was #13
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 10.642/119.56, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.807/256.60, Was #14

McLaws with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number 13 spot. Charles McLaws' incremental times: 60ft-0.996 sec., 330ft-2.563, 660ft-3.788/203.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.831.

Gasparrelli with tire shake and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Bryan Brown Runs 5.817/207.34, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.709/260.76, Was #12
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.523/268.22, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.599/245.99, Was #10

Brown slowed on the top end and will stay in the number 12 spot.

Whiteley launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number six spot. Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.511, 660ft-3.689/210.77 mph, 1,000ft-4.684.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.531/260.31, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.618/256.80, Was #11
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.439/269.46, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.555/239.57, Was #8

Martin with a good looking pass to move up the ladder a couple spots. Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.472, 660ft-3.658/208.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.670.

Lombardo Jr. launched hard and kept it hitting on all eight and hooked up to go to the number one spot. John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.455, 660ft-3.619/212.90 mph, 1,000ft-4.605.

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Left Lane: Kris Hool Runs 10.132/122.20, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.594/262.44, Was #11
Right Lane: Brian Hough Runs 13.469/85.15, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.525/266.37, Was #8

Hool is up in smoke right at the hit.

Hough is also up in smoke right at the hit.

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Left Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 5.500/264.39, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.593/261.37, Was #10
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.510/265.06, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.522/265.38, Was #6

Kaplan with a great pass to go to the number five spot with his quickest pass this season. Jirka Kaplan's incremental times: 60ft-0.931 sec., 330ft-2.450, 660ft-3.638/208.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.649.

Leanders was straight down the groove with a great pass, but will stay in the number six spot.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.461/269.35, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.514/267.27, Was #7
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.521/267.37, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.482/268.87, Was #4

Westerfield kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend to go to the number three spot. Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.456, 660ft-3.631/211.36 mph, 1,000ft-4.625.

Gordon with another good pass, but will not improve. Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.490, 660ft-3.676/210.05 mph, 1,000ft-4.678.

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Left Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 10.134/112.03, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.460/268.81, Was #2
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.451/268.01, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.475/267.75, Was #4

Marshall shook right at the hit and clicked it off.

Bellemeur kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number two spot. Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.938 sec., 330ft-2.445, 660ft-3.616/211.53 mph, 1,000ft-4.612.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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