Fri, 14 Aug 2009, 05:30 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Bob Orme

BRAINERD, Minn. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 28th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.895/117.50, Now #1

3:55 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 93 degrees, relative humidity 49 percent, barometer 28.53 inches, adjusted altitude 4,770 feet, track temperature 119 degrees.

Creasy struck the tires just past the 330-foot mark.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.857/172.47, Now #1
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 7.196/86.91, Now #3

Head lost traction at about 300 feet. Bode was almost to half track when he lost traction too.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 6.678/97.47, Now #3
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 7.226/96.31, Now #5

Both drivers were up in smoke at about 200 feet.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.666/206.13, Now #1
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 8.092/80.08, Now #7

Hagan's engine went silent before the 330-foot mark. Hight pedaled it a couple times on the top half of the track.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.383, 660ft-3.573/204.45 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.441/221.20, Now #1
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 5.454/131.37, Now #4

Neff lost traction just before the 330-foot mark. Pedregon lifted at about 850 feet.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.378, 660ft-3.439/231.24 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 5.118/158.59, Now #5
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.594/218.94, Now #2

Force's engine blew up before the 660-foot mark. Worsham was slowing at the finish, the reason not apparent from here.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.364/274.16, Now #1
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.764/179.28, Now #5

Beckman's engine started eating itself at about 500 feet. Tasca makes the best pass of the session so far.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.930 sec., 330ft-2.423, 660ft-3.483/239.23 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.524/232.95, Now #3
Right Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 5.492/133.57, Now #10

Force Hood struck the tires at about 400 feet. Wilkerson was wiggling around at the finish.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.424, 660ft-3.522/221.05 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.710/229.74, Now #6
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.006/155.17, Now #9

Capps was mixing up the cylinders on the top end. Pedregon was off the throttle before 600 feet.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.462, 660ft-3.663/207.98 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink