Sat, 21 Jun 2008, 02:08 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Larry Sullivan

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals 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 Ashley Runs 5.459/237.63, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.236/253.23, Now #13; No Prior Run

1:32 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 41 percent, barometer 29.95 inches, adjusted altitude 2,202 feet, track temperature 128 degrees.

Ashley says this is the last race he'll drive at this year because of increasing demands at work.

Both cars were hazing the tires on the top end and both drivers were in and out of the throttle.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 11.891/68.14, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.766/187.52, Now #15; No Prior Run

Kalitta's chute shook loose almost immediately. Both cars smoked the tires and it sounded like Pedregon popped the supercharger on the top end.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 8.114/95.01, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.319/259.41, Now #14; No Prior Run

Scott Kalitta is on the bump spot at 11.891.

Both cars lost traction early. beckman threw in the towel, but Densham pedaled and finished the run. Now Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 5.766.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 13.718/62.19, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.876/318.02, Was #11
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 9.197/91.63, Now #18; No Prior Run

Toliver's car shook hard and he shut it off. Bartone got about 100 feet, then there was a big flash of flame under the car and he started coasting.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 6.571/132.39, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.856/316.38, Was #8
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.035/302.21, Now #13; No Prior Run

Tasca lost traction before half track. TJ made a full pass, hazing the tires on the top end.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.942/303.09, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.856/317.34, Was #7
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 7.003/119.00, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.883/315.64, Was #12

The remaining drivers are already in the provisional field.

Capps made a pretty run, no sign of tire smoke anywhere during the run. Scelzi's car was up in smoke about 300 feet out

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.958/308.14, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.835/321.50, Was #6
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.863/312.71, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.873/317.27, Was #10

Both drivers here got down the track in both of yesterday's qualifying sessions and both made very nice runs today, Wilkerson with an amazing pass for the conditions, improving over his run yesterday.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 5.142/236.51, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.810/303.71, Was #4
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.999/306.74, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.870/306.12, Was #10

Both cars looked good for about 800 feet, then started hazing the tires. Neff flirted with the centerline, Hight slowed.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 8.868/91.73, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.810/321.12, Was #3
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.987/305.01, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.831/314.53, Was #5

Force's crew is sporting a retro-look this weekend, wearing the old Castrol GTX shirts and red pants. Brings back a lot of memories of the Gary Ormsby and Pat Austin era.

Force was up in smoke after 200 feet, Worsham made a full pass, hazing the tires on the top end.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 6.602/133.47, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.803/314.75, Was #2
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 7.463/109.38, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.803/320.51, Was #1

Head said last night that he would shoot for a 4.85 or 4.86 today, saying the key was tuning to suit the track temperature.

These two ran the same ET blast night, did the same thing today - 300 feet and a lot of tire smoke.

That's it for now, Head continues to lead the field and Mike Ashley is on the bump spot at 5.459.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink