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Fri, 10 Nov 2006, 07:25 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals 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: Peter Russo Runs 5.035/263.20, Now #14; No Prior Run

3:10 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 2,497 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Russo sat out yesterday's session and comes out this afternoon,runs his career best and puts the car in the show. Anything else he needs to do this afternoon? Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oy Oy Oy!

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.961/295.46, Now #13; Best prior run: 13.471/74.96, Was #21
Right Lane: Grant Downing Runs 13.150/79.98, Now #22; No Prior Run

Downing is another that sat out the Thursday session like Russo. for him the result wasn't quite as good as he struck the tires almost at the hit. Wilkerson goes straight and makes the field for the moment.

Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.838/318.54, Now #9; Best prior run: 9.525/113.13, Was #20
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 10.695/67.53, Now #22; No Prior Run

That right lane seems to be a little bit tricky at the moment as Haddock is up in smoke almost at the hit. Gilbertson puts some smoke out of the engine in the lights but appears to be pretty stong in the field.

Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.824/322.58, Now #9; Best prior run: 8.469/96.14, Was #20
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 11.437/54.79, Now #21; Best prior run: 10.323/78.78, Was #21

Head is up on the tire by about 100 feet and smoking the tires by 150. Scelzi fires a pretty nice shot and he's now middle of the pack qualified.

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.724/328.54, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.637/170.90, Was #20
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.895/291.51, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.223/218.80, Was #18

Hight pulled no punches earlier in the week when he stated that Prock was going after the record this weekend and they would need those 20 points. With others struggling in this session Prock sends the car down for a low 4.7 and to #2 on the list behind Worsham. Bartone got the car off the starting line and past the spot others have had trouble. He still records a good run and makes the show. Hight did leave some oil after that one.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.860/287.84, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.231/221.09, Was #20
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.884/283.79, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.881/315.12, Was #14

Cruz Pedregon moves into the field but suffers from the same problems that have plagued him all season. At about 700 feet the car started mixing cylinders and at about 1000 feet the engine erupted into flames. On the replay you could see the entire cockpit fill with flames and it appeared to last for a bit. The fire system did it's job and the Safari was all over Pedregon as the car stopped. Burkart had to slap the pedal at about 330 but he makes the field as well. We're down for a few minutes as they clean up the debris in Pedregon's lane.

Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 6.225/139.75, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.973/289.32, Was #19
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 5.522/180.09, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.843/319.37, Was #12

Kalitta has been on a roll ever since they debuted the new Solara body for the Funny Car. The Celica seemed to suffer from some aero problems that disappeared with the introduction of the new body. This time, body or no body, both cars struck the tires and the runs were broken.

Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 5.389/196.36, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.939/285.95, Was #17
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.755/326.32, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.805/313.37, Was #8

Beckman picks up a nickel in the right lane and goes to #5. His new wife, Jenna Beckman, is on the starting line watching hubby at work and she appears plenty happy with that result. Just for information Roger Comstock, one of Beckman's sponsors, is driving Beckman's Super Comp car this weekend with Jack lining him up and overseeing the operation. Pedregon used up some parts on his pass and the Safari is back on the track for him as well.

Left Lane: Gary Densham No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.845/320.43, Was #13
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.774/325.14, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.798/320.81, Was #8

Densham's car didn't move three feet when the light changed. He lurched forward a stopped. Johnson improves on his Thursday ET but remains #8.

Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.745/323.35, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.808/316.67, Was #9
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.814/316.08, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.769/324.36, Was #7

Here comes one of the three contenders for the Funny Car title. He loses a nickel and T. Pedregon finds it. That moves him into the top half of the show.

Left Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 8.077/92.84, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.762/328.38, Was #7
Right Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 9.952/87.53, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.730/318.69, Was #3

Ashley announced in a press conference earlier in the afternoon that he will be on his own next season as an owner and driver of his own Funny Car. Right now his problem is traction as both he and Medlen lose it at exactly the same instant at about 200 feet.

Left Lane: John Force Runs 7.286/114.69, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.731/323.74, Was #4
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.877/285.89, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.712/309.56, Was #1

Ok. I'm going to do my best to describe this. Worsham had a huge engine explosion at about 1000 feet and it appeared the body locked the front wheels when it buckled. He glanced the wall after the finish line and and then began to ride the concrete all the way to the sand. To compound all his problems either he could not reach the chute release or it was hung up on the body. As the car nosed into the sand trap the front dug in and flipped the car over on it's back and and momentum allowed the car to flip another time and come crashing back to earth. Now the good news. As the car came to a stop Worsham was out of the belts and getting out of the car. He was walking around almost before the Safari got to him. I suspect the car is trash but I'm assuming he's got a spare. Force smoked the tires early and was nowhere near the whole incident.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink