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Sat, 13 Feb 2010, 05:00 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline 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:

Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.103/307.58, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.059/312.86, Was #1

1:06 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 28.91 inches, adjusted altitude 2,579 feet, track temperature 97 degrees. Terrific weather for the fuel cars. Blue skies, just a slight breeze and a warm, but not hot, track.

We will get our sixteen car bump spot this round, with nineteen FC already down the track earlier.

Hight will get a single to start off the third round of qualifying. He had a broken run in round two, but is still the number one qualifier. He doesn't run as well as he did on Thursday, but this is a great looking pass right down the track. This ET would still be good enough to take over the #6 spot.

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.091/308.64, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.109/305.01, Was #6
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 7.562/83.95, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.062/312.35, Was #2

Worsham fires and falls back with some tire smoke before the tree.

Hagan shows off his new DieHard sponsorship well, with a terrific looking pass up into the current #4 position. The chutes don't fully come out after the 1000ft mark, but he quickly has the speed down enough to easily make the turn off.

Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.646/199.91, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.453/208.78, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.101/310.91, Was #6

Two great looking 660 passes, but Tasca and then Beckman spin, lift, and slow.

One more try later this afternoon.

Left Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.126/303.43, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.093/310.70, Was #5
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 7.575/84.82, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.166/304.74, Was #7

Yesterday's session was a lot of tire smoke for most cars, but Force Hood gets to the finish line under power today. Nice pass for the conditions.

Head's slicks are up in smoke before the sixty foot mark.

Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.244/280.14, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.167/293.60, Was #8
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 5.547/127.53, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.184/264.49, Was #11

The right lane bites again. Bode, this time.

Lots of smoke from Densham's engine in the lights and he slows from his prior best.

Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.369, 660ft-3.385/248.84 mph.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.568/238.17, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.182/294.43, Was #10
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.184/304.67, Now #11; No Prior Run

There is a brief delay to clean up a little "Stuff" in Densham's lane way down track.

1:23 p.m Time to go racing!

That should keep the In-N-Out car if the field for a while. A little soft down low, but she successfully navigates the tough right lane for a good clean pass.

Wilkerson's early times were close to Troxel's but the tires are up in smoke before mid-track.

Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.440/220.66, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 5.869/114.69, Now #16; No Prior Run

We will get the first 2010 sixteen car dump spot with this pair.

Well, nothing to write home about,as Diehl is up in smoke after the 330 lights.

Arend is dropping cylinders down track and still improves on his earlier 4.712 time.

Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.652/194.35, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.844/91.98, Now #18; No Prior Run

Haddock had some major engine damage in yesterday session, but is back to try again. The engine drops a cylinder earlier and he stays with to move into the new dump spot. Another costly pass.

Pedregon was #14 going into the session and won't get into the field on this pass, as the right lane spin and smoke gets him well before the 660 lights.

Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 8.165/56.63, Now #19; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.144/301.54, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.167/289.76, Was #9

I don't want to guess at the combined ages of the crew chiefs. Let's just say that its a lot more than 100 and leave it at that.

Another great looking pass for Capps to move up into the top half of the field.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.349, 660ft-3.337/260.26 mph.

Lee's Impala is quicker to sixty feet with a 0.910 time and then strikes the tires. There is a clean up starting after the 1320, so we will have a brief delay before the last pair of the session.

1:36 p.m.

Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.201/303.71, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.189/305.01, Was #13
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.488/249.58, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.066/310.41, Was #3

1:46 p.m. Terry Haddock is on the bump spot at 4.652. Both drivers want to move up the ladder, but it's going to be tough.

Both cars off the line well, but Force's Mustang is struggling by the 660 lights and he slows.

Pedregon makes a good clean pass for the conditions, but both cars stay in their current #3 and #13 qualifying spots.

1:48 p.m. Robert Hight is still #1 with a 4.059 ET and Terry Haddock is on the bump spot at 4.652.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink