Sat, 14 Jul 2007, 07:12 AM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Bob Orme

MORRISON, Colo. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 28th annual Mopar Mile-High 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: Scott Kalitta Runs 9.315/88.95, Now #16; Best prior run: 10.321/87.28, Was #17

8:33 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 32 percent, barometer 24.71 inches, adjusted altitude 7,404 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Kalitta struck the tires at about 300 feet.

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Left Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.889/311.34, Now #1; Best prior run: 8.148/102.06, Was #15
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.900/313.37, Now #2; Best prior run: 20.244/65.40, Was #19

No problems here, both drivers go straight down the groove.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.897/318.09, Now #2; Best prior run: 7.155/122.39, Was #15
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 5.006/298.87, Now #5; Best prior run: 10.452/82.01, Was #19

A good looking pass for both drivers.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 5.486/197.48, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.065/120.26, Was #16
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.020/267.48, Now #6; Best prior run: 9.453/92.16, Was #19

Toliver was very close to the centerline at half track. Densham's engine went silent at about 1100 feet, the reason not apparent from here.

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Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 9.619/87.37, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.833/130.17, Was #17
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.058/290.94, Now #7; Best prior run: 7.393/116.41, Was #18

Bernstein struck the tires at about 300 feet. Bartone was mixing up the cylinders on the top half of the track. His chutes failed to deploy in the shutdown area. He slid the car sideways just before the sand trap, and when he hit the sand, the car did a 3/4 barrel roll. He's okay, and from the replay, it didn't look like there was a lot of damage to the car.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.189/280.66, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.393/229.47, Was #16
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.425/205.63, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.290/279.27, Was #15

Pedregon was all over his lane on the top half of the track. Wilkerson was off the throttle at about 800 feet. He left some fluids on the track, so we have some down time for clean up.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.059/257.19, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.191/238.60, Was #15
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 7.041/121.79, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.165/277.20, Was #12

9:05 p.m. Head was up in smoke just past the 330-foot mark. Capps was off the throttle at about 1100 feet.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 5.234/222.73, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.187/282.30, Was #14
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 9.078/91.43, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.135/285.05, Was #12

Johnson struck the tires at about 250 feet. He pedaled it once, then he gave up on the run. Force was off the throttle just before the 1000-foot mark.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.929/316.08, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.105/295.98, Was #11
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.119/275.56, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.087/302.55, Was #10

A very good looking pass for Force. Pedregon started mixing up the cylinders at about 800 feet.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.968/298.60, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.075/292.77, Was #10
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.862/314.02, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.962/297.81, Was #5

Scelzi's car has a very interesting gold paint job for this race. A very good looking pass for both drivers to end this round. Tim Wilkerson is on the bump going into round three qualifying.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink