Fri, 01 Nov 2013, 19:48 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division, Las Vegas Gambler Showdown Division 7 Finale listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.697/258.62, Now #1

4:07 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 28.00 inches, adjusted altitude 3,607 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Harker's converter car leave smooth and runs well to set a mark for the rest of the field.

Steve Harker's incremental times: 60ft-1.028 sec., 330ft-2.591, 660ft-3.801/205.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.828.

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Left Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.582/261.88, Now #1
Right Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 5.635/249.95, Now #2

OK! Two career best passes for ET and speed for Leanders.

Perkins is away first and has the better time until about half track. Leanders is just 0.001 different in ET at that point, but over four MPH faster. They run together to the finish line and Leanders gets the best of it.

Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.975 sec., 330ft-2.515, 660ft-3.709/208.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.724.
Cody Perkins' incremental times: 60ft-0.957 sec., 330ft-2.498, 660ft-3.710/204.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.750.

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Left Lane: Nick Januik Runs 14.174/70.77, Now #5
Right Lane: John Evanchuk Runs 5.837/234.41, Now #4

Januik's tires are spinning at the green and he has to lift.

Evanchuk's Monte Carlo leaves well and runs to right after the 660 light and starts to slow. It gets worse after that, as there are pieces, parts, and oil on the track from near the 1000 foot lights. Expensive!

4:15 p.m. Time for some dusting and cleaning on the top end.

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Left Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 5.632/252.99, Now #2
Right Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 5.674/255.48, Now #4

4:28 p.m. ...and we are back to qualifying!

Two strong passes. Rupert gets a big head start at the green and holds off a charging Thompson. Thompson runs quicker and takes over the new number two spot.

Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.510, 660ft-3.717/205.10 mph, 1,000ft-4.749.
Jason Rupert's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.528, 660ft-3.751/202.15 mph, 1,000ft-4.794.

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Left Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 5.724/251.63, Now #6
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.749/236.46, Now #7

Another nice side by side pair.

Kaplan is off the line first and has better numbers right on down the track. He scrubs off some time, as the car drifts out of the groove just before half track and horses it back into the groove.

Gordon chases him all the way down and slots in to the ladder right behind him.

Jirka Kaplan's incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.516, 660ft-3.769/198.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.830.
Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.559, 660ft-3.795/200.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.842.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.712/247.84, Now #7
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.574/257.58, Now #1

Whiteley is the next car into the fifties and power to the top of the list on a clean and straight pass.

Nice pass for Gasparrelli into near the bottom of the field.

A brief delay to check the left lane, but no oil.

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.549, 660ft-3.769/202.64 mph, 1,000ft-4.814.
Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.474, 660ft-3.675/206.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.701.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.665/256.02, Now #6
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.574/259.76, Now #1

Jirka Kaplan is on the bump spot at 5.724.

Bartone takes his new ride to the top of the list on a terrific looking pass. He matches Whiteley's ET and runs a little more than two miles an hour faster.

No issues for Paine, as he bumps into the show in the number six spot.

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.520, 660ft-3.745/202.85 mph, 1,000ft-4.786.
Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.691/207.27 mph, 1,000ft-4.710.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.626/257.19, Now #4
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.645/256.65, Now #7

Steve Harker is on the bump spot at 5.697.

Two nice passes to wrap up the first session, as both cars easily bump into the field.

Westerfield was first off the line and has the better incrementals to move into the top half of the field.

Lombardo was just a little slower all the way down the track and ends up number seven.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.516, 660ft-3.724/204.85 mph, 1,000ft-4.753.
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.531, 660ft-3.740/204.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.770.

4:44 p.m. Jay Payne is on the bump spot at 5.665.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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