Sat, 12 Nov 2022, 16:38 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 57th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals 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: Steven Densham Runs 3.993/287.05, Now #13; Best prior run: 9.399/68.77, Was #17
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.057/313.44, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.067/306.40, Was #13

12:58 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 30.01 inches, adjusted altitude 1,780 feet.

Cruz Pedregon is number one at 3.840 and Ron Capps is on the bump spot at 4.897.

Densham finally gets a full pass and it's a season best to move him into the field for now in the #13 spot. The Mustang slowed on the top end.

Arend make his best run of the weekend, but gets pushed back a spot to #14.

Steven Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.250, 660ft-3.196/270.64 mph.
Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.317, 660ft-3.277/267.22 mph.

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Left Lane: Bobby Bode Runs 4.400/218.58, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.360/198.15, Was #16
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 9.014/86.88, Now #18; No Prior Run

Bobby Bode is on the bump spot at 4.360 and strikes the tire loose down track to stay there for now.

Haddock's Mustang is lazy off the line and starts to smoke the tires right after the tree.

Bobby Bode's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.354, 660ft-3.384/242.84 mph.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 10.902/72.90, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.991/318.92, Was #12
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 4.186/238.43, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.919/322.11, Was #9

Two broken runs.

Lee's Mustang smokes the tires at the green.

Alexander runs hard to after the 660 lights and then has the tires spinning too.

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Left Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 3.978/318.47, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.920/320.89, Was #10
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.864/334.15, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.897/156.43, Was #17

Capps is the last car to be able to bump in in this session. There is no question of staying in, as the Supra powers right to the finish line and into the top four on a clean and straight pass this time.

Campbell makes another strong pass, but loses a position to Capps.

Jim Campbell's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.278, 660ft-3.214/273.22 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.229, 660ft-3.135/284.69 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.892/331.36, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.882/333.58, Was #7
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.913/300.20, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.897/328.38, Was #8

Jason Rupert will stay on the bump spot at 4.159.

Two clean and straight and clean passes, but neither will improve. DeJoria slows on the top end.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.233, 660ft-3.155/280.43 mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.248, 660ft-3.153/284.51 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.854/331.85, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.866/333.25, Was #6
Right Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 9.555/77.09, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.159/246.84, Was #16

Hight makes the best run of the session, so far and will move up three positions on the ladder to #3 on his best pass of the weekend.

Rupert will have to wait until season four to get off the bump, as the tires are smoking hard right at the green.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.222, 660ft-3.122/284.99 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.875/325.85, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.856/322.65, Was #4
Right Lane: Chad Green Runs 4.827/162.16, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.957/325.30, Was #12

Tasca makes another stong pass to stay #4.

Green's Mustang powers the slicks loose right after the 660 lights.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.228, 660ft-3.134/284.75 mph.
Chad Green's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.269, 660ft-3.460/180.98 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.847/323.43, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.840/322.58, Was #1
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.895/333.41, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.917/329.26, Was #9

Pedregon makes another strong pass. All three have been better that his career best coming into the race.

Todd finds just enough power to move up a spot into the top half of the field with another strong pass, finally moving into the three eighties and three hundred thirty plus speed.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.210, 660ft-3.105/285.29 mph.
J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.256, 660ft-3.163/283.85 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.867/326.56, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.844/323.58, Was #2
Right Lane: John Force Runs 3.924/308.07, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.864/333.49, Was #6

Two more strong passes to wrap up the session.

Hagan makes his fastest pass of the weekend to stay #2 on a clean pass.

Force ran hard until near the 1000 foot lights before lifting a little early, as his Camaro is driving hard towards the center line.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.210, 660ft-3.125/281.42 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.255, 660ft-3.168/282.19 mph.

1:26 p.m. Jason Rupert is on the bump spot at 4.159.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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