Sat, 27 Oct 2018, 16:30 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 3 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 Arend Runs 4.119/302.35, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.828/117.89, Was #18

12:54 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 27.94 inches, adjusted altitude 4,147 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Arend goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and he gets in the show in the 15th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl No Time, Now #19; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Bob Bode No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.253/265.74, Was #16

Diehl gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires, then backs off the throttle. Bode gets out of the groove and starts moving to the left. he tries to steer it back in the groove, the car continued moving left, and he took out the timing blocks at the end of the track so neither driver receives a time.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 6.009/114.14, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.927/328.38, Was #3
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.966/324.36, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.022/320.13, Was #11

Hight gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires and backs off the throttle. Hagan goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and he moves up to the seventh spot for now.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.192/273.33, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.415/202.55, Was #19
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.911/327.19, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.301/225.33, Was #18

Todd goes right down the groove with an impressive run, the quickest of the weekend so far, and he goes all the way to the top of the order. Densham's car was moving around all the way through the run but he stays with it and improves but not enough to get in the show.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.263/225.22, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.970/319.52, Was #11
Right Lane: Richard Townsend Runs 4.121/267.22, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.060/308.50, Was #15

Tasca was on a good pass to half track, then he broke the tires loose, the car made a quick move toward the wall and he had to back off the throttle quickly. Townsend got about 800 feet out and was out of power, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Jonnie Lindberg No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.050/314.24, Was #13
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 4.856/169.10, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.054/312.06, Was #14

Lindberg does his burnout, backs up, then he has to shut it down, not sure why. Campbell gets out of the groove, starts pushing toward the centerline, then he backs off the throttle about 600 feet out.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.205/226.51, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.009/323.58, Was #12
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.115/250.55, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.969/321.27, Was #10

Capps gets about 700 feet out, hazes the tires, then he has to give up on the run. Langdon had traction problems early, started moving around, then he backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 6.101/111.72, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.922/327.19, Was #2
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.969/317.27, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.968/323.04, Was #9

Beckman gets about 300 feet out, overpowers the track and strikes the tires. Pedregon makes a clean, straight pass but he doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.944/330.31, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.939/330.23, Was #6
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.380/132.43, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.961/320.28, Was #7

Wilkerson puts out a cylinder, makes a move toward the wall, then he has to back off the throttle about 300 feet out. Force goes right down the groove with a good pass but he doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.899/324.98, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.928/324.28, Was #5
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.937/327.43, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.926/328.46, Was #3

Johnson makes an impressive pass here, right down the groove with the quickest pass of the weekend, and he takes the top spot to end this session. Force makes a clean, straight pass but drops a spot in the order as Johnson goes around her.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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