Fri, 2 Sep 2005, 06:17 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Larry Sullivan

CLERMONT, Ind. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Mac Tools U.S. 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: Michael Bell Runs 6.441/242.63, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.129/192.06, Was #15
Right Lane: Don DeVault Runs 6.334/227.61, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.378/233.92, Was #17

5:41 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 29.66 inches, adjusted altitude 2,154 feet, track temperature 110 degrees.

Steve Addleman is on the bump spot at 6.322.

Bell launched, shook, pedaled, shook again, pedaled again, then finished the run. Devault pulled ahead while Bell was pedaling and Bell never did catch him.

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Left Lane: Steve Addleman Runs 6.116/241.11, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.322/179.23, Was #16
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 8.127/107.56, Now #21; Best prior run: 7.759/121.08, Was #21

Both cars were all over their lane on their runs earlier today. Lee left hard, but once again had problems beyond the 330-foot marker and slowed. Addleman trimmed a couple tenths off his earlier time and moved off the bump spot. That puts Michael Bell on the bump spot at 6.129.

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Left Lane: Fred Hagen Runs 5.843/251.95, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.081/243.85, Was #14
Right Lane: Steve Franke Runs 6.618/225.52, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.474/222.00, Was #18

Franke stopped straddling the starting line after backing up from his burnout. After some prompting, he backed up clear of the line before rolling forward to stage, then rolled in deep, turning off the top bulb. That hurt his elapsed time, but not enough to make any difference. Hagen made a nice run, improving enough to move one rung up the ladder.

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Left Lane: Bernie Harrington Runs 5.731/247.97, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.767/246.03, Was #8
Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.804/250.41, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.805/249.26, Was #12

Clean, smooth runs in both lanes, Harrington moving well up from the middle of the field.

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Left Lane: John Bojec Runs 5.714/252.24, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.794/238.05, Was #10
Right Lane: Brandon Lewis Runs 5.809/252.76, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.804/249.86, Was #12

Nice runs, both lanes.Bojec moved way up to fourth, Lewis stayed tenth.

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Left Lane: Danny Townsend Runs 5.760/252.80, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.754/252.00, Was #8
Right Lane: Vern Moats Runs 6.058/209.85, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.737/253.04, Was #6

Moats shook and pedaled early in the run, killing his ET. Nice, smooth run by Townsend, right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 6.678/144.09, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.670/256.06, Was #1
Right Lane: John Weaver Runs 5.712/251.11, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.713/251.77, Was #3

Manzo got out of the groove, over toward the wall, and lifted at half track. Weaver went right down the groove, making his third good run of the event, all 5.70s, all at 251 mph.

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Left Lane: Don Hudson Runs 6.104/182.01, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.749/249.44, Was #5
Right Lane: Mick Snyder Runs 5.709/253.75, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.769/247.84, Was #9

Hudson slowed just past half track, the laundry out well before the finish line. Snyder blasted right down the middle of the groove to move well up into the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: Bob Newberry Runs 5.661/254.23, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.680/253.37, Was #2
Right Lane: Jay Payne No Time, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.767/253.14, Was #10

payne made his burnout, then shut it off and was pushed off the starting line. Newberry made a beautiful run, smooth, straight, and very quick, taking the top spot away from Manzo.

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Left Lane: Jeff Burnett Runs 5.856/242.84, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.784/154.19, Was #19
Right Lane: Bobby Martin Runs 5.740/246.26, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.827/143.37, Was #20

These two were shooting at Michael Bell's 6.129 bump time. Both made very nice runs, bumping not only Bell, but also Don Devault. That put Russell Mudd on the bump spot at 6.058 for the final qualifying session, tomorrow.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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