Fri, 30 Oct 2026, 21:34 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 26th annual MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge 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:

---

Left Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 4.094/312.93, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.381/106.68, Was #18

5:43 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 80 percent, barometer 29.80 inches, adjusted altitude 3,271 feet.

Rupert goes down the groove with a full pass, header flames high and steady all the way through the run. He improves and moves up to the 11th spot for now.

---

Left Lane: Hunter Green Runs 3.921/324.75, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.712/172.01, Was #17
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.623/211.39, Now #18; Best prior run: 7.233/94.56, Was #19

Green goes down the groove with a clean, straight pass and he moves up to the fourth spot for now. Capps gets about 200 feet out, pedals, then backs off of the throttle about 600 feet out.

---

Left Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 8.284/81.52, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.475/193.27, Was #17
Right Lane: Austin Prock Runs 4.158/240.85, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.432/133.74, Was #19

Nataas has traction problems and is off of the throttle early. Prock gets about 600 feet out, loses traction, and the rear of the car starts moving around. He backs off the throttle and bangs the blower.

---

Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 3.921/327.74, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.999/322.88, Was #11
Right Lane: Jordan Vandergriff Runs 3.909/332.02, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.306/214.31, Was #17

A good side-by-side, both down the groove with good runs. Lee improves and moves up to the fifth spot, Vandergriff moves up to the fourth spot, for now.

---

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 8.435/78.60, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.966/320.97, Was #10
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.284/233.76, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.212/299.40, Was #17

Pedregon gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. Haddock started mixing up cylinders, then a ball of flame erupts from the engine. The fire is extinguished quickly and he rolls to a stop in the shutdown area.

---

Left Lane: Chad Green Runs 4.680/173.56, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.948/319.45, Was #9
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 7.798/80.77, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.173/245.00, Was #16

Green gets about 300 feet out and the car noses over, not sure why. Diehl had traction problems early and was off the throttle before he got 200 feet out.

---

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 8.315/78.66, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.945/327.03, Was #8
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.070/303.09, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.132/262.54, Was #14

Hagan gets about 300 feet out, loses traction and backs off of the throttle. Arend got out of the groove, drifted to the left, then got close to the centerline near the end of the run. He improves and moves up a spot to 13th.

---

Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.889/336.82, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.922/330.39, Was #7
Right Lane: Dave Richards Runs 4.226/223.10, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.979/278.00, Was #12

Todd goes down the groove with the quickest pass of the session and moves up to the third spot in the order. Richards was on a decent pass but the header flames died about 800 feet out, not sure why.

J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.249, 660ft-3.162/285.05 mph.

---

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.836/335.32, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.875/333.00, Was #2
Right Lane: Daniel Wilkerson Runs 3.914/328.14, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.967/324.59, Was #11

Beckman goes down the groove with an impressive pass and he goes all the way to the top spot. Wilkerson makes a good pass and gets in the top half of the field.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.218, 660ft-3.111/289.07 mph.

Daniel Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.275, 660ft-3.178/286.19 mph.

---

Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.695/171.25, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.874/333.33, Was #2
Right Lane: Spencer Hyde Runs 8.262/66.98, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.901/328.46, Was #4

DeJoria gets out of the groove early, heads for the centerline, then has to back off of the throttle about 700 feet out. Hyde has traction problems early and clicks it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Pro Stock Motorcycle Qualifying Notes, Session #2
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Top Fuel Qualifying, Session #2 Bonus Points
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Funny Car Qualifying, Session #2 Bonus Points
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Top Fuel Qualifying, Session #2 Order
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Funny Car Qualifying, Session #2 Order
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Top Fuel Qualifying, Session #1 Bonus Points
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Funny Car Qualifying, Session #1 Bonus Points
Oct 30- LAS VEGAS - Pro Stock Qualifying, Session #1 Bonus Points