Sat, 26 Oct 2013, 14:54 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 13th annual NHRA Toyota 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: Bernie Harrington Runs 5.863/244.29, Now #16; Best prior run: 13.441/59.85, Was #23
Right Lane: Nick Januik Runs 5.759/252.95, Now #11; Best prior run: 20.487/23.64, Was #24

11:22 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 28.05 inches, adjusted altitude 3,744 feet.

Both Harrington and Januik had traction problems on their first attempt yesterday.

No problems here, both going right down the groove. Harrington gets in the field but is on the bump. Januik gets in the 11th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 5.634/251.86, Now #3; Best prior run: 12.741/62.28, Was #24
Right Lane: John Evanchuk Runs 5.862/245.58, Now #17; Best prior run: 10.550/81.04, Was #23

Two more good runs, both right down the groove. Kaplan gets in the third spot, Evanchuk doesn't make it in the field.

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Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.700/252.57, Now #10; Best prior run: 8.862/99.88, Was #24
Right Lane: Von Smith Runs 5.658/258.42, Now #5; Best prior run: 8.498/111.69, Was #21

Smith makes a full pass this time and gets in the show in the fifth spot for now.

Gordon's had traction problems yesterday and he had to back off the throttle. He makes a full pass this time and gets in the show in the tenth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.623/258.02, Now #3; Best prior run: 8.807/103.20, Was #24
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 14.559/64.53, Now #23; Best prior run: 7.082/112.72, Was #22

Bellemeur rattled the tires off the line and was off the throttle about 200 feet out. Westerfield made a clean pass and goes all the way to the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.702/255.15, Now #12; Best prior run: 8.642/101.35, Was #24
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 11.132/88.06, Now #23; Best prior run: 6.331/255.48, Was #22

Leanders went up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and had to give up on the run. Harker made a clean, straight pass and gets in the show in the 12th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Charles McLaws Runs 5.902/245.67, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.859/247.61, Was #20
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.697/255.15, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.806/253.23, Was #19

McLaws made a move to the left, then back to the right, then got it back in the groove. He doesn't improve and will stay in the 20th spot. Hool improves and moves up to the 11th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 5.671/260.11, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.774/257.43, Was #19

Manzo drifted a little to the right, then back to the left, but still made a nice run to get in the show in the seventh spot for now.

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Left Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 5.698/251.16, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.765/249.12, Was #19
Right Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 5.677/253.99, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.742/253.85, Was #16

Rupert was moving around early in the run but never backs off the throttle and gets in the field in the tenth spot for now. Williamson improves and gets in the 14th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 6.234/152.97, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.707/248.07, Was #17
Right Lane: Mark Woznichak Runs 5.676/255.82, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.683/257.24, Was #11

Thompson gets to half-track and starts putting out a lot of smoke from the right side of the engine. He starts to slow at that point and doesn't get in the field. Woznichak goes right down the groove with a decent pass to move up a spot in the order.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.578/258.57, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.690/254.42, Was #12
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.609/258.76, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.643/259.41, Was #5

Payne drifts to the right early in the run, steers it back to the groove, then goes on through with a good pass to move up to the second spot for now. Lombardo makes a clean, straight pass and moves up a spot to fourth.

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Left Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 24.361/23.99, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.676/256.70, Was #10
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.571/260.36, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.601/259.86, Was #3

Perkins strikes the tires at the hit and has to give up on the run. Bartone improves and moves a up a spot to second.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 8.667/104.07, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.674/255.82, Was #9
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.590/257.24, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.560/257.73, Was #1

Gasparelli gets about 100 feet out, makes a hard move toward the wall and has to back off the throttle. Whiteley goes right down the groove with another good pass.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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