Fri, 10 Nov 2023, 16:38 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 58th annual In-N-Out NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.090/147.28, Now #1

12:51 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 15 percent, barometer 30.00 inches, adjusted altitude 2,104 feet.

Del Worsham returns to the drivers seat today in the CP Carrillo Toyota Supra Funny Car.

He leaves hard with an 0.873 60 foot time and then has the tires start to shake loose. He pedals, but the car is tail happy and starts a back and forth movement going down the track before he finally gives it up.

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Left Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 6.543/99.52, Now #3
Right Lane: Steven Densham Runs 3.949/318.02, Now #1

Densham starts off the weekend in style with a career best ET and season best speed.

Rupert leases hard and smokes the tires around the 330 lights.

Steven Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.253, 660ft-3.183/274.83 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.049/287.84, Now #3
Right Lane: Bobby Bode Runs 3.995/283.25, Now #2

Strong numbers early and then they both start to drop cylinder down track and move towards the center line.

Diehl just crosses over after the 1320 lights by a little bit.

Jeff Diehl's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.308, 660ft-3.257/274.83 mph.
Bobby Bode's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.258, 660ft-3.195/275.96 mph.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 5.248/139.79, Now #6
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.414/204.85, Now #4

Lee has the slicks come loose near the 330 lights and he has to pump.

Haddock got a little further, pumped the pedal, but started to drop cylinders

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Left Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 3.981/319.52, Now #2
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.526/111.57, Now #8

Pedregon fires and falls back right around the 330 lights.

Alexander gets a full pull to move into the #2 spot for now.

Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.290, 660ft-3.223/275.73 mph.

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Left Lane: Alex Laughlin Runs 6.537/99.91, Now #10
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 5.365/139.91, Now #8

The Dunn team is featuring a historic "Fireman's Quickie" wrap this weekend, honoring JIm's early days in racing.

No joy here, as both Funny Cars are off the throttle early and coasting.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.527/187.50, Now #6
Right Lane: Chad Green Runs 7.669/84.38, Now #13

Another pair of broken runs.

Green is done first and is followed shortly after by Wilkerson.

Most of the crew chiefs have underestimate the track bite in Q1 so far, except for Densham.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.417/196.53, Now #7
Right Lane: John Force Runs 3.967/323.66, Now #2

Two strong leaves and they run together to near the 660 lights, where Todd's Supra start to spin the tires.

Force gets to the finish line, but Densham is still number one.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.878 sec., 330ft-2.275, 660ft-3.213/275.73 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.424/132.48, Now #13
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.566/288.39, Now #9

Two more broken runs.

The both leave strong and run together to right after the 660 foot lights.

Capps lifts and Hight does a pedal slap to finish the run under power.

Jason Rupert is on the bump spot at 6.543.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.911/328.94, Now #1
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.933/332.51, Now #2

We save the best to last! Point and a half round points this weekend, and the little qualifying points will definitely be a factor by the end of the weekend.

They leave together and run close together right on down the track to the finish line to capture the final #1 and #2 spots of the session.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.245, 660ft-3.171/280.54 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.881 sec., 330ft-2.265, 660ft-3.193/280.84 mph.

1:30 p.m. Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 6.526.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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