Fri, 03 May 2019, 17:19 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

COMMERCE, Ga. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Arby's NHRA Southern Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 5.792/118.70, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 29.18 inches, adjusted altitude 3,334 feet, track temperature 110 degrees.

Paul Lee making his return to Funny Car, he is in his own car. Making his first pass since Pomona 2, 2016.

He has a whisp of smoke around 330 feet and clicks it off.

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Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 4.101/295.40, Now #1

Alexander started drifting out of the groove, but stayed with it...

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Left Lane: Dave Richards Runs 4.442/211.46, Now #2
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 11.154/75.54, Now #4

Richards started dropping cylinders early and clicked it off.

Pedregon was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.027/314.75, Now #1
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.730/120.31, Now #4

Tasca kept it hooked up and was straight down the groove to the number one spot. Then he has no chutes and is on the brakes hard, he gets it slowed down, but still goes into the sand about a car length. Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.292, 660ft-3.254/268.38 mph.

Capps is up in smoke by 330 feet.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.987/322.11, Now #1
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.383/213.10, Now #4

Langdon was straight down the groove with hit hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.287, 660ft-3.227/274.55 mph.

Wilkerson started to drop cylinders and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.040/316.30, Now #3
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 5.126/149.12, Now #7

Johnson with a clean pass to go to the number three spot. Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.306, 660ft-3.268/267.43 mph.

Beckman started mixing up cylinders and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 5.648/123.04, Now #8
Right Lane: John Force No Time, Now #12

Todd started to lose traction and clicked it off.

Force with a big engine explosion right at the hit and he came to stop on the track. John Force was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.483/196.53, Now #7
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 6.535/99.63, Now #12

Hagan started to haze the tires and clicked it off.

Hight was up in smoke early and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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