Sat, 13 Mar 2010, 05:36 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 41st annual NHRA Gatornationals 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: Jeff Arend Runs 4.107/305.01, Now #5; Best prior run: 7.308/86.69, Was #17
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.202/303.64, Now #13; Best prior run: 7.312/88.57, Was #18

Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.43 inches, adjusted altitude 1,604 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Head with a conservative pass to get in the show and he does just that...Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.931 sec., 330ft-2.400, 660ft-3.396/259.21 mph. Arend with a real nice pass to get in the show and into the top half of the field. Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.331, 660ft-3.306/263.00 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.152/288.09, Now #12; Best prior run: 7.176/86.08, Was #18
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 6.884/102.66, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.231/299.80, Was #14

Smith starts shake right off the starting line and he clicks it off. Pedregon was straight down the groove to get in the show and that bumps out Worsham. Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.350, 660ft-3.330/262.69 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.284/293.79, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.991/104.91, Was #18
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.078/311.49, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.155/306.33, Was #13

Diehl pedals it right off the starting line and gets it to hook up to get in the show...Jeff Diehl's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.433, 660ft-3.453/251.91 mph. Pedregon with a great pass to move up to the number two spot...Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.323, 660ft-3.293/266.79 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.156/305.42, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.138/180.04, Was #18
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.155/305.84, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.144/305.56, Was #12

These two were side-by-side all the way down the track. Troxel doesn't improve and stays in the number 12 spot. Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.377, 660ft-3.356/262.85 mph. Worsham gets into the show and that bumps out Diehl and puts Smith on the bubble. Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.361, 660ft-3.352/258.76 mph.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 8.105/76.44, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.324/260.76, Was #18
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 6.823/100.66, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.140/304.12, Was #11

Lee starts to lose traction and clicks it off, and he will not get back in the show. Bode makes a little farther down track before he starts to smoke the tires and clicks it off. He will stay in the number 11 spot.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.107/306.81, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.138/306.33, Was #10
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.790/174.08, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.135/306.05, Was #9

Beckman was making a nice pass and then the engine went silent and he coasted on through the 1000 feet. Tasca III with a great looking pass to get into the top half of the show...Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.346, 660ft-3.313/264.86 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.070/306.81, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.110/303.64, Was #8
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.114/305.29, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.128/305.84, Was #9

wilkerson with hs quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number nine position. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.346, 660ft-3.316/264.39 mph. Capps with a great looking pass to go to the number two spot. Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.308, 660ft-3.274/264.80 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.060/313.58, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.104/304.12, Was #6
Right Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.081/312.42, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.093/308.43, Was #4

This was a great drag race with Force Hood running her quickest pass of the weekend. Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.322, 660ft-3.295/264.03 mph. Hagan launched hard and keep it hooked up and was straight down the groove to go to the number one spot. He runs big top end speed, this is second fastest pass in the history of the 1000 era. Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.327, 660ft-3.282/269.03 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.106/308.85, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.093/307.72, Was #6
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.082/305.36, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.060/310.13, Was #2

Force with another good looking pass, but doesn't improve. John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.346, 660ft-3.315/265.12 mph. Hight with another great pass, but is not quick enough to get his number one spot back. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.317, 660ft-3.284/264.34 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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