Sat, 28 Jun 2008, 05:38 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual Summit Racing Equipment 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: Tony Bartone Runs 5.007/260.11, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.091/258.22, Was #14

Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 76 percent, barometer 28.82 inches, adjusted altitude 3,424 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Bartone was on a real nice pass until around 1200 feet when the pipes got real wet and he might of thrown the blower belt off the car. He will move into the top half of the show with this pass...Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.345, 660ft-3.381/258.22mph, 1,000ft-4.207

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.994/295.34, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.084/260.81, Was #13

Head with a nice looking pass...it appeared he might of clicked it off early. Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.280, 660ft-3.393/248.75mph, 1,000ft-4.245

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.882/309.77, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.060/279.50, Was #11
Right Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.980/290.07, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.271/270.10, Was #16

This was a good drag race between the Force cars. Hight goes to the number one spot...Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.285, 660ft-3.336/255.48mph, 1,000ft-4.165 Force with a nice pass to get into the top half of the show...Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.364, 660ft-3.365/254.18mph, 1,000ft-4.220

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.983/297.29, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.039/277.72, Was #12
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 9.904/90.54, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.200/224.43, Was #16

Neff started to smoke the tires around 250 feet and clicked it off. densham with a nice clean pass to move into the top half of the show...Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.395, 660ft-3.395/254.18mph, 1,000ft-4.239

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.965/300.26, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.029/291.07, Was #12
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.085/278.12, Was #15

Toliver with a lot of tire shake right off the starting line and clicked it off and coasted to stop just before the finish line. Beckman with a good clean pass to go to the number three spot...Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.377, 660ft-3.387/253.33mph, 1,000ft-4.227

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.909/297.42, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.009/293.28, Was #12
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.995/296.83, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.065/280.49, Was #14

Capps launched hard and keep it hooked up all the way down the 1320...Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.282, 660ft-3.339/257.38mph, 1,000ft-4.170 Pedregon drifted out of the groove, but stayed with it to move up the ladder a couple spots...Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.405, 660ft-3.417/272.23mph, 1,000ft-4.253

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 6.250/147.26, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.988/274.11, Was #9
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 9.353/95.31, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.064/288.95, Was #14

Johnson Jr. lost traction early and clicked it off. Force start to lose traction around 400 feet and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.054/272.94, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.977/302.14, Was #6
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.932/303.64, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.994/281.83, Was #11

Worsham with a nice pass until around 1200 feet and it appeared he clicked it off early. Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.251, 660ft-3.443/250.92mph, 1,000ft-4.288 Tasca launched hard and keep it hooked up all the way down the 1320...Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.397, 660ft-3.372/257.53mph, 1,000ft-4.202

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.161/241.41, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.910/304.32, Was #3
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 7.389/112.81, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.975/276.35, Was #6

Pedregon started to drift out of the groove and started to lose traction before he clicked it off. Wilkerson appeared to be on a great pass before the engine went silent around 900 feet. That will wrap up qualifying with Hight qualifying number one and Neff on the bump.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink