Sat, 7 Feb 2009, 06:06 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 8.668/21.26, Now #2
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.345/283.01, Now #1

2:18 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 61 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 28.72 inches, adjusted altitude 2,025 feet, track temperature 76 degrees.

We have some last minute work being done on the christmas tree and we should be ready to go with the first pair of Pro Nitro cars of the weekend. Hagan is making his debut for DSR and give the team numbers to work with. Haddock isn't as lucky as Hagan as he's off the power early and barely coasts across the finish stripe. It appears the loss of power for Haddock had something to do with the engine as the Safety Safari is in his lane doing a full clean up. 2:18 p.m.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.222/22.07, Now #1
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.891/244.65, Now #3

2:29 p.m. Not to bad. We're back to business. Arend was away first and had opened a two tenth lead by 330ft. Arend got the full pull but it appears there might be problems with the mph lights in the left lane. Bode had the pipes go wet and he coasted to the finish.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.286/21.40, Now #2
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 5.061/187.52, Now #5

Toliver makes his debut in the Jim Dunn racing/Canidae Pet Food Impala with a cylinder mixing hit the makes him #5. Head wandered the lane but just misses the top spot held by Arend. Again the left lane mph is bogus.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.038/24.27, Now #1
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.143/301.20, Now #2

Worsham just might be setting a season trend as he set a personal best run at 1000ft in the Al-Anabi 2009 Solara. Tasca was not that far back and his time nets him a solid second place at the moment.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.183/22.51, Now #3
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.286/304.12, Now #5

Densham was so busy keeping his Chevy in his lane he was very late in going for the laundry. He managed to get the car around the corner but he was very busy. Neff ran a nice mph but the car was off the pace down low. Mike Neff's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.454, 660ft-3.479/255.39 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.289/21.37, Now #8
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.092/304.39, Now #2

Force just misses his career best ET at 1000ft but still winds up #2 to Worsham. Capps had to do some driving but winds up eighth.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.061/23.96, Now #2
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.164/300.40, Now #5

Marriage seems to agree with Ashley as she moves dad down a spot and shoves pops down a spot on the ladder. Pedregon makes a nice looking pass as well. Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.305, 660ft-3.273/265.17 mph.
Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.344, 660ft-3.354/256.89 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.037/24.27, Now #1
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.197/289.14, Now #8

By .001 Hight takes over the qualifying lead here in round 1 of qualifying. With one pair left he moves Worsham down a spot. Beckman made a hard move at half track and has to settle for #8. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.296, 660ft-3.252/267.85 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.141/58.18, Now #17
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.205/305.91, Now #9

Wilkerson was off the pedal early after he rattled the tires. He's got to hope the second round of Pro qualifying actually happens after they run the first round on the alky classes as this hit leaves Wilk as the #17 qualifier. Pedregon gets a full pass but just misses the top half of the field. Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.409, 660ft-3.406/260.11 mph. That ends the first round for the Funny Cars and I hate to say it but the clouds are rolling back in and it looks really ugly.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink