Fri, 10 Oct 2008, 02:42 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.126/299.66, Now #1
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.130/300.73, Now #2

2:12 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 29.95 inches, adjusted altitude 1,739 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

We are on schedule, but a couple of rounds of Sportsman qualifying have been shifted to the end of the day to get here.

Qualifying opens with a pair of good-looking full-pulls. Coming on the heels of a solid first round for the Pro Stockers, and given the almost perfect weather today, we should see more of the same in both rounds today.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 6.498/101.45, Now #4
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.107/298.87, Now #1

Bartone shook and shut off about 300 feet out. Toliver made a very nice run, just a hundredth off his 1,000-foot best.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.159/293.86, Now #5
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.094/303.71, Now #1

Two more full passes, Troxel's the best so far and her career-best at 1,000 feet. Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.315, 660ft-3.292/261.93mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.138/296.70, Now #5
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 7.833/72.22, Now #8

Tasca rattled the tires and he lifted. Worsham dropped a cylinder early, made it to the line under power.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 8.443/78.71, Now #10
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.081/300.20, Now #1

Capps shook immediately and threw in the towel. Neff made a nice-looking pass with a career-best 1,000-foot ET to take over the top spot. Mike Neff's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.289, 660ft-3.273/260.51mph.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.144/295.14, Now #8
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.080/298.21, Now #1

Two good runs and "Dad" takes over the #1 spot with a (don't get ahead of me) career-best 1,000-foot elapsed time.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 7.366/83.63, Now #12
Right Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.146/296.63, Now #9

Pedregon lost traction early in the run. Force's run was behind her father's pace right from the start. Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.344, 660ft-3.334/258.62mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.138/297.55, Now #7
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 7.668/84.13, Now #14

Hight's car started hopping about 300 feet out and he shut off. Pedregon's car was behind the quick pace almost immediately.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.080/298.47, Now #1
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.156/297.09, Now #12

Two full passes to close out the round and Beckman takes the top spot based on speed, 0.26 mph faster than John Force.

After one round, Beckman leads the way and Tim Wilkerson is on the bump spot at 4.156.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink