Fri, 2 May 2008, 08:48 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 12th annual O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals presented by Castrol 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: Gary Densham Runs 4.936/262.54, Now #12; Best prior run: 7.567/131.81, Was #18

Densham launched hard and then it lost the blower belt on the top end. He gets in the show for now. Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.311, 660ft-3.309/252.99mph, 1,000ft-4.152

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.882/272.01, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.355/116.44, Was #18
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.930/291.07, Now #13; Best prior run: 10.672/78.74, Was #19

Neff with a real nice pass to go to the number eight spot...Mike Neff's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.325, 660ft-3.313/259.56mph, 1,000ft-4.125 Beckman with a good pass and then started drifting out of the groove and the engine went away with a big puff of smoke.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.825/167.18, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.110/153.70, Was #17
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.848/316.90, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.729/141.68, Was #19

Worsham launched hard and kept it hooked up all the way down the 1320 to go to the number one spot. Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.340, 660ft-3.332/256.94mph, 1,000ft-4.146 Bartone's car made a move was just like the first round and came real close to tagging the wall.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.822/324.98, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.335/203.28, Was #17
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.909/311.49, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.411/145.00, Was #19

Johnson Jr. with a good clean pass and just misses the bump. Kalitta with a great pass, hitting on all eight all the way down the quarter mile. He goes to the number one spot...Scott Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.362, 660ft-3.347/262.74mph, 1,000ft-4.140

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 10.284/80.84, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.190/223.02, Was #18
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.806/317.64, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.917/302.35, Was #14

Cruz Pedregon was up in smoke right off the starting line. Tony Pedregon launched hard and with a great pass until just past half track when it started drifting out of the groove and got close to the wall. He still goes to the number one spot...Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.327, 660ft-3.304/264.75mph, 1,000ft-4.112

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Left Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 9.940/88.09, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.923/313.44, Was #15
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 8.007/70.51, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.897/302.28, Was #13

Ashley was up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off. Hight was mixing up cylinders right from the start and then the engine let go with a big fireball...he gets it stopped and is out of the car and is okay. By my unofficial count that will cost him $1500.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.825/315.71, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.872/310.91, Was #8
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.912/260.86, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.883/301.27, Was #12

Wilkerson was on good looking pass until the car started drifting out of the groove and he got real close to the wall. He clicked it off and stays number 12. Tasca with a real nice looking pass to go to the number three spot. Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.346, 660ft-3.319/261.62mph, 1,000ft-4.126

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 12.296/76.19, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.869/306.19, Was #8
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.818/322.11, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.880/308.00, Was #10

Force is up in smoke right off the starting line. Toliver with a great pass until right before the finish line when it had a little wiggle. He goes to the number two spot, and this is the fastest he has run this season...Jerry Toliver's incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.347, 660ft-3.319/261.57mph, 1,000ft-4.125

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.813/321.04, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.857/311.49, Was #7
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.802/327.59, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.876/316.01, Was #10

Troxel with a monster run here to go to the number one spot...career best E.T. She was moving around on the top end...Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.335, 660ft-3.322/260.16mph, 1,000ft-4.122

Force with a real nice to go to the number three spot...Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.330, 660ft-3.315/259.46mph, 1,000ft-4.121 This is the quickest and fastest she has run all season.

The quickest side-by-side all woman Funny Car race here.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.822/316.08, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.852/315.42, Was #8
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.819/320.13, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.861/308.92, Was #9

This was a good side-by-side drag race to wrap up day one Friday qualifying. Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.330, 660ft-3.306/260.66mph, 1,000ft-4.120
Gary Scelzi's incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.346, 660ft-3.318/262.13mph, 1,000ft-4.123

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink