Sat, 17 May 2008, 05:30 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Q 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 4.880/310.27, Now #13; Best prior run: 11.191/92.38, Was #21

4:54 p.m. Densham's last chance....and he makes it a good one. He goes right down the groove, candles lit all the way through the run, and he gets in the field in the 13th spot, bumping out Tommy Johnson.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.904/288.52, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.041/235.84, Was #20
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 7.306/118.83, Now #21; Best prior run: 8.346/98.96, Was #21

Kalitta starts to drift to the left at the hit, then gets close to the center-line about 400 feet out and backs off the throttle. Bartone got out of the groove just past half track, then gets close to the wall just before he crosses the finish-line. He never backs off the throttle and gets in the field on the bump for now.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 5.030/255.68, Now #20; Best prior run: 4.967/283.67, Was #19
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.916/313.07, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.970/304.67, Was #20

Gilbertson drifts out of the groove a little past half track gets close to wall about 1100 feet down and has to back off the throttle. Ashley also went left late in the run but he never backs off the throttle. Both driver's weekend end here, neither making it into the show.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.960/287.60, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.936/301.00, Was #19
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 11.307/76.60, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.932/266.21, Was #18

Both of these drivers were in the field starting this round but have been put out by Bartone and Densham. Beckman goes up in smoke about 100 feet out and he will not make the show. Johnson was on a good run, then the car noses over a little early, ending his weekend.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.928/296.11, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.896/313.22, Was #14
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.943/314.09, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.901/298.80, Was #15

Scelzi had to travel about 1330 feet on this pass, the car moving to the left, then back to the right. Toliver makes a decent run but slows from his earlier pass.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.932/304.12, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.839/318.62, Was #11
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.906/308.85, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.842/322.65, Was #12

Worsham makes a decent pass but started mixing up cylinders about 1200 feet out.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.939/300.86, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.831/313.29, Was #10
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 10.810/85.94, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.823/318.02, Was #8

Tasca rattles the tires about 60 feet out and clicks it off. Pedregon goes right down the groove and makes a decent pass.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.868/309.34, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.831/317.79, Was #9
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.864/315.56, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.821/316.90, Was #6

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove with the two quickest runs of the round so far. Neither improves but both have good, solid runs.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.918/267.32, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.821/308.78, Was #7
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.803/310.91, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.803/311.63, Was #5

An impressive run for hight, right down Broadway with the quickest pass of the round. Force was on a decent run, then had problems about 1100 feet out.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.871/308.14, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.802/318.24, Was #4
Right Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.828/323.58, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.792/324.98, Was #3

Force has to drive this one, the car moving to the left, then she moves it back in the groove. She never backs off the throttle and runs the second quickest pass of the round so far. Wilkerson makes a good, solid run, right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.951/296.89, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.783/321.04, Was #1
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 5.088/238.26, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.785/323.89, Was #2

If Neff stays the top qualifier he will be the 85th driver to qualify number one in this class. Head has now equaled his best start ever, also qualifying number two in memphis in '88.

Neff makes another good run, right down the groove, but loses a little on the top end, not sure why. Head gets to half-track first, then bangs the blower.

That does it for Funny Car qualifying, Neff on the pole will take on Bartone on the bump.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink