Sat, 29 Jul 2006, 03:05 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

SONOMA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual FRAM-Autolite NHRA 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: Mike Drake Runs 5.886/245.09, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.886/247.57, Was #20
Right Lane: Ron August Jr Runs 5.588/256.94, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.601/258.42, Was #1

August Jr. with his best E.T. pass of the season and ties his career best E.T. to move into the number one spot. Drake ties his best pass of the weekend, but will not get into the show.

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Left Lane: Larry Miner Runs 5.755/252.14, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.778/251.49, Was #16
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.699/253.33, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.735/250.78, Was #14

Bellemeur with a career best E.T. and mph pass and moves up the ladder four spots. Miner with his best pass of the weekend, but is still on the bubble.

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Left Lane: Bucky Austin Runs 5.681/253.23, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.731/253.95, Was #13
Right Lane: Mark Woznichak Runs 5.710/253.23, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.642/255.53, Was #2

Austin with his best pass of the weekend to move into the top half of the show. No help for Woznichak.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.598/258.47, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.683/261.52, Was #8
Right Lane: Dennis Taylor Runs 5.626/251.77, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.650/249.21, Was #3

This was a really good looking drag race. Payne goes to the number two spot and Taylor stays number three. Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.504, 660ft-3.704/206.10mph, 1,000ft-4.729
Dennis Taylor's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.498, 660ft-3.706/204.08mph, 1,000ft-4.739

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Left Lane: Roger Bateman Runs 5.611/254.52, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.681/253.85, Was #7
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.663/257.58, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.666/258.37, Was #6

Bateman with a career best E.T. to go to the number three spot. Roger Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.502, 660ft-3.699/205.79mph, 1,000ft-4.730 Gasparrelli with his best pass of the weekend, but still gets bumped back a spot.

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Left Lane: Mert Littlefield Runs 5.790/223.43, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.793/250.09, Was #18
Right Lane: Don Hudson Runs 11.996/95.21, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.687/254.52, Was #9

Littlefield with his best pass of the weekend, but not good enough to get into the show. Hudson shook hard right off the starting line and the chute deployed.

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Left Lane: Jeff Carroll Runs 8.573/103.61, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.810/248.93, Was #19
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.722/250.00, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.730/250.23, Was #13

Carroll got real loose and real close to the centerline, and clicked it off.Gordon with his best pass, but will stay number 13.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.645/254.90, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.657/256.02, Was #6
Right Lane: Ken Kraus Runs 5.676/252.76, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.733/252.80, Was #14

Hough with his best pass of the weekend, but will stay number six. Kraus with a career best E.T. pass here to move into the top half of the show. Ken Kraus' incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.513, 660ft-3.739/202.09mph, 1,000ft-4.788

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Left Lane: John Weaver Runs 5.650/253.90, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.690/252.95, Was #11
Right Lane: John Patton Runs 5.792/218.62, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.788/250.27, Was #17

No help here for Patton and he will not get into the show. Weaver with his quickest and fastest pass of the season to move into the top half of the show. John Weaver's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.508, 660ft-3.724/203.65mph, 1,000ft-4.765

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Left Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 13.493/79.18, Now #22; Best prior run: 9.919/106.96, Was #22
Right Lane: Clint Thompson No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.722/254.14, Was #13

Thompson rolled the beam and will not get a time and then coasted on through the quarter mile. Williamson launched hard and then shook hard and will not get into the show.

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Left Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 5.810/233.16, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.748/254.71, Was #15
Right Lane: Dale Van Gundy Runs 6.182/224.17, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.886/240.98, Was #21

Rupert was real loose all the way down the quarter mile and used up all of his lane. Van Gundy with no help here and will not get into the show.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink