Sat, 22 Aug 2009, 05:04 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual Toyo Tires 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: Jeff Arend Runs 5.010/232.63, Now #13; No Prior Run

4:27 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 66 percent, barometer 29.19 inches, adjusted altitude 3,463 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

Arend got to the 660 marker and shook the tires. He backed off the throttle and then got back on it it finish the run. There are 17 Funny Cars here and it is not clear if there will be two qualifying runs today, so Arend did not want to let this chance go.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.193/287.05, Now #11; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.208/289.57, Now #12; No Prior Run

Both drivers had straight runs down the track to put themselves into the field.

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Left Lane: Justin Schriefer Runs 4.521/252.95, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Gary Densham No Time, Now #17; No Prior Run

These were the last two of the five drivers who were not in the top 12 after last night. Densham did his burnout and backed up. He shut his car down before he staged and did not make his run. That means Densham is not in the field and will have to wait and see if we have another session this evening. Schriefer stayed in the groove until he drifted toward the center line at the end of his pass.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.214/286.13, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.220/273.66, Was #13
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.351/251.72, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.289/276.52, Was #14

Head was just a bit better than yesterday, Toliver was a bit slower. Neither moved in the order.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.145/299.60, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.178/295.92, Was #9
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.134/297.68, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.180/296.83, Was #10

Neff and Beckman ran side-by-side and both were quicker than yesterday. Beckman moved up eight spots, Neff moved up four places in the order.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.133/299.53, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.177/297.61, Was #10
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.198/298.27, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.159/299.00, Was #7

Pedregon moved up eight spots in the order, pushing Force down one place.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.179/298.87, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.174/299.26, Was #10
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.146/294.11, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.146/295.21, Was #7

Two good runs but neither driver moved up in the order.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.182/291.95, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.167/292.14, Was #9
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 5.420/121.42, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.138/299.26, Was #5

Tasca got to the 660 foot marker when he blew the supercharger and the chutes came out. Hagan was not quicker than he was yesterday.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.256/246.03, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.114/301.47, Was #1
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.184/285.05, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.137/293.66, Was #4

Force Hood took her car straight down the groove but the engine let go as she crossed the finish line. There was a burst of flame and pieces of the body flew into the air. Her chutes were out and the car came to a stop in the shutdown area. Hight had a nice run but it did not have any effect on his place in the order. A few minutes after the engine in her car blew, Force Hood was being interviewed from the top end and appears to be okay.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink