Fri, 9 Feb 2007, 08:10 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals 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: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.749/317.42, Now #4; No Prior Run

4:28 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 29.16 inches, adjusted altitude 1,536 feet, track temperature 74 degrees.

The Top Fuelers pretty much tinkled over most of the racing surface after half track and Tony was very loose and lost his run yesterday do to a center line infraction. Not today! Even though the car moved around a BUNCH from about 1000ft but he managed to hang on. All the way to #4.

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Left Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.869/318.09, Now #12; Best prior run: 10.511/82.27, Was #20
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.788/312.86, Now #6; No Prior Run

Another pair of Funny Cars make it to the top end. The headerflames say the motors were not exactly happy, but the times and speeds differ. Both make the field early in round two. With the weather due to close in this might be a very important session.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.741/317.05, Now #4; Best prior run: 9.473/90.73, Was #21
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 11.114/76.64, Now #22; Best prior run: 12.935/60.80, Was #23

Bernstein rattled the tires and lifted by about 100ft. Kalitta had the run of the early session and is very safely in the program. The same can't be said for Bernstein as the team continues to try and sort of their racer.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.800/327.03, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.800/327.03, Was #9
Right Lane: Terry Haddock No Time, Now #23; Best prior run: 5.700/202.39, Was #20

Haddock had his hands full and appeared to rub some of the shiny off the side of the car when he made contract with headers to wall. He ran 5.700/202.39 but the time will be disallowed. Worsham didn't get all of it but is well into the field at the moment.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 8.236/105.94, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.085/122.96, Was #19
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.843/302.01, Now #14; Best prior run: 9.247/86.26, Was #21

Uh oh. Could this be the beginning of the end for John's long qualifying streak? On this pass he pedaled several times early in the run, but he just couldn't save it. Two down and how many sessions left? Pedregon gets in but very close to the bump.

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Left Lane: Grant Downing Runs 12.661/61.39, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.026/298.47, Was #18
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.210/215.55, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.412/139.78, Was #21

Downing strikes the tires early in the run and winds up coasting. Bartone was on a better pass but the fire went out at about 900ftr and he falls well short of the show.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.849/323.97, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.018/265.22, Was #11
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 10.884/79.45, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.073/288.03, Was #13

Arend makes the show in a very dangerous spot, #15. That was the top speed of he career though. Bode tried to pedal but had to give up the run.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.774/325.53, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.883/284.45, Was #17
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.892/307.79, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.833/317.19, Was #13

Beckman had just been bumped but that's not a problem for his team. Fast Jack makes the field in the top half and now it's Arend on the bubble. Wilkerson makes his second hit and slows slightly. Consistent though.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 9.098/90.64, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.810/281.19, Was #11
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.852/315.86, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.830/320.74, Was #13

Ashley launched well and had a .917 60ft number before shaking the tires loose. Densham visited his home in Bellflower, but managed to finally get the car back into the middle of the lane at the stripe. Talk about wandering around! 4.852 the hard way for the Teacher.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 6.180/146.45, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.795/316.01, Was #9
Right Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 4.744/325.22, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.819/288.64, Was #12

Head tiptoe's close to the stripe at half track and has no choice but to lift. Medlen just about got all of this on and he moves well into the top half.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.782/323.43, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.741/327.82, Was #3
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 9.568/86.48, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.778/322.34, Was #8

TJ rattled the Goodyear's loose before 330 and watched as Capps gets his ride from one end to the other. Capps rattled the tires pretty and he commented that they had set the car on kill and they were looking to run a 4.6 something.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.726/328.54, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.728/330.80, Was #2
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 9.856/81.22, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.693/326.79, Was #1

Hight fired and fell back by 330. Scelzi took it out the back light and still can't catch Hight and his 4.693. That closes out the Fuel session and we move on to Alcohol's Final Session.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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