Sat, 22 Feb 2020, 19:24 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 36th annual NHRA Arizona 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: Terry Haddock No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.612/125.56, Was #15

4:52 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 29.69 inches, adjusted altitude 2,983 feet, track temperature 80 degrees.

Matt Hagan is number one at 3.859 and Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 6.987.

Haddock's engine just quits on the starting line after a strong burnout. The crew didn't tell him to click it off.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 10.452/74.35, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.257/210.37, Was #13

Lee is in the field, but his first two passes were click it off early.

No joy here either, as the slicks are immediately up in smoke at the green.

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Left Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 6.623/95.28, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.974/319.75, Was #12
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.964/325.14, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.962/323.74, Was #11

Alexander is away just 0.007 ahead of Pedregon at the green, but has the tires smoking about 100 feet out.

Pedregon makes a straight and clean pass almost matching his prior best. Just a little faster, just a little less ET.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.893 sec., 330ft-2.286, 660ft-3.216/278.81 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.896/327.66, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.953/326.40, Was #10
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.916/316.30, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.942/301.74, Was #9

Capps is second off the line, but first to the finish line. Nice strong pass to move past DeJoria on the track and on the ladder. He moves up to the top half of the field in #7.

DeJoria Makes her best run of the weekend, but gets bumped back a spot by Capps. She will take over #10.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.248, 660ft-3.160/284.99 mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.252, 660ft-3.166/281.95 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 5.692/130.63, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.889/329.42, Was #5
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 8.493/75.24, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.916/317.64, Was #9

The leave together and smoke the tires together around 100 feet out.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 6.119/108.87, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.883/328.86, Was #4
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.868/323.81, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.915/324.12, Was #8

The left lane about 100 to 200 feet out takes another victim. Tasca and Johnson leave with identical RT's, but Tasca's Mustang is loose early and coasting.

Johnson keeps the tires stuck to the track and moves around Tasca to the top four with his best ET of the weekend.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.214, 660ft-3.124/283.07 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 7.172/94.75, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.867/330.55, Was #3
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.889/329.10, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.893/323.27, Was #7

Again! Hight this time! Almost identical to Tasca.

Another straight and strong pass for Wilkerson, with a better ET and speed to stay #7. Beckman gets #6 by speed.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.248, 660ft-3.153/285.23 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 7.170/92.61, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.859/331.61, Was #1
Right Lane: John Force Runs 8.112/81.95, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.861/331.94, Was #2

Both cars are done early this tie to wrap up the session.

Hagan is away first and done first, but will still take his 38th number one qualifier position into tomorrow's eliminations. That's the second of the season and second here at Phoenix.

Hight's Camaro was not quite as violent early and he gets a little further before kicking the tire loose too.

5:18 p.m. Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 6.987.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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