Sat, 15 Nov 2008, 07:20 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals 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: Del Worsham Runs 10.950/74.38, Now #20; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.200/292.20, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.969/96.96, Was #19

3:25 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,867 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Last shot for all these folks. This has been real tough on Worsham as he's not yet gotten a time to put on the qualifying sheet. He gets one this time but certainly not what he wanted. The Goodyear's were spinning and smoking before 100ft. Arend gets a run that puts him on the bump. Not very safe this early in the session.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 6.090/116.08, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.203/292.71, Was #17
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 7.317/79.53, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.733/96.03, Was #19

The sound and the fury were over all to early early for this pair as both smoked the tires early in their respective runs. The smoke was all that was left of the season for both Bode and TJ.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 5.449/129.99, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.187/296.63, Was #15
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.226/282.36, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.468/216.83, Was #18

To add insult to injury TJ laid a pretty heavy load of 70 weight on the drag strip so we're down for a little bit. Bartone just misses the field and used up a whole bunch of his lane. Head struck the tires early in the run and coasted on out. He was #15 and remains in that spot. If my calculations are correct that was the last car that could bump in.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.150/300.33, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.167/287.17, Was #13
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.144/299.86, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.176/299.40, Was #14

If nothing were to change it would be Hight vs C.Ped in round 1. not likely to happen but fun none the less. Tasca makes himself tighter in the field as well.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.110/303.78, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.157/301.13, Was #13

All the wheels stayed on this time and the racing gods payed him back. He goes to #4 and will likely have one of his better starts of a difficult season. Let's see if he can parlay that run into a few round wins on Sunday.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.123/301.67, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.156/292.14, Was #13
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 7.360/85.00, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.151/300.33, Was #12

Wilkerson was out of power early and goes into Sunday doing some head scratching. Conditions favor him but just about nothing has gone right so far. Beckman has to feel a little better as he just misses the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.125/296.89, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.122/298.14, Was #8
Right Lane: Ashley Force Runs 4.092/304.87, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.127/297.81, Was #10

That was worth waiting for! Force knocks Troxel out of the top spot that she's held for the first three sessions. That moves her teammate down to #9 and if nothing changes he would race T.Ped. That would be fun. Troxel still has a chance to take that top spot back by the way.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.860/146.54, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.108/303.78, Was #4
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.923/115.54, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.122/301.67, Was #8

This turns into a pair of tire smokers with T.Ped losing traction first. Pedregon got a few feet further and when he kicked the tires loose it blew the burst panel out, automatically deploying the parachutes.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.079/305.49, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.105/299.13, Was #3
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 7.471/77.52, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.121/302.01, Was #7

A new leader in the clubhouse as Neff goes out and takes the top spot away from his teammate, A.Force. Scelzi struck the tires early and watched Neff streak to the top spot. He will start from the top half on Sunday though.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.082/305.01, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.105/304.25, Was #3
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.145/301.40, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.118/302.08, Was #6

Troxel almost picks Neff's pocket as she was only .003 away from tying him for the top spot. I just noticed Neff set top speed of the event for the class on his run. Capps remains in the 6th spot and that's all for the Plastic Fantastics. By the way. It was just mentioned that the three top points getters can win the championship by winning the event.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink