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Sat, 13 Feb 2010, 09:30 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 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:

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.300/269.83, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.844/91.98, Was #18

5:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 32 percent, barometer 28.88 inches, adjusted altitude 2,563 feet, track temperature 81 degrees.

Last chance time! Terry Haddock is on the bump spot at 4.652.

Pedregon's earlier 4.231 time would have had him in field already, but this run is good enough for now to move him up four positions into the current #14 spot. White Knuckle time.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.391, 660ft-3.435/246.93 mph.

Left Lane: Jeff Diehl No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.869/114.69, Was #18
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 14.294/74.57, Now #19; Best prior run: 8.165/56.63, Was #19

Bob Tasca III is on the bump spot at 4.646 after a 4.190 before today.

Well, that was odd! Once again Diehl and Lee have issues on the line. It's reported that Diehl's funny car body was loose at the back of the car and would latch.

After a long delay again, Lee is directed to stage and run. He staged, took the green, and then just motored on down the track. Hmmmm! I bet the Fireman is really happy right now...

Left Lane: Bob Bode No Time, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.184/264.49, Was #12
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.869/195.82, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.652/194.35, Was #17

Bode has problems this time and after a long delay gets the car into a short quick burnout and up to the line and stages.

It just gets weirder and weirder, as we go!

Bode is shut off on the line and Haddock takes the single.

He leaves with a 0.919 sixty foot time and has good header flames until the near 660 lights. The cylinders start to mix up at that point and the engine expired big time right at the 1000 foot lights with a blower bang and a bunch of fire out of the top of the engine and underneath the car. The burst panel flew way up into the air.

The car continued on down the track, still on fire, without any chutes. Haddock tries to get it stopped and the car snaked around, as it slowed. He must have been getting too hot, as he then started to get out through the roof hatch while the car was still moving.

The Stratus drifted over into the left lane and just nudged into the wall with Haddock more out of the car, than in. It finally rolled to a stop right before the sand trap and he jumped down to the ground.

He seems to be OK, but has a big hole in his wallet! His earlier 4.422 would have got him in the field for now.

Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.180/302.28, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.184/304.67, Was #11
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.075/306.88, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.646/199.91, Was #16

5:52 p.m. Time to qualify again...

That will get the Tasca Mustang off the bump Big Time. It's full dark now and the header flames are spectacular. A solid 0.905 sixty foot time sets the pace and the car thunders on down the track and into the new #4 spot for now.

Troxel stays close to him until mid-track and then has to watch the Ford pull steadily away.

Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.384, 660ft-3.374/259.51 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.283/266.11 mph.

Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.131/304.74, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.166/304.74, Was #9
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.200/281.13, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.440/220.66, Was #16

Jeff Arend is on the bump spot at 4.440.

Two clean passes and both cars move up the ladder one spot for now.

Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.351, 660ft-3.330/261.62 mph.
Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.374, 660ft-3.371/257.92 mph.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 7.868/83.13, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.144/301.54, Was #9
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.151/307.58, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.189/305.01, Was #14

Cruz Pedregon is safe on the bump spot at 4.300, as the slower cars have already run.

Capps won't get back into the top half of the field as the flames go down after the 330, when the car gets out of the groove and smokes the tires.

Pedregon finds some power and puts it to the ground on a strong pass to move four spots up the ladder.

Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.371, 660ft-3.357/263.46 mph.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.705, 660ft-5.101/087.65 mph.

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.104/307.93, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.101/310.91, Was #7
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.167/298.73, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.182/294.43, Was #13

Beckman makes another strong pass and just slows 0.003 from his best ET. Good looking pass.

Wilkerson gets it all together this time and improves enough to move two spots up the ladder into the current #11 spot.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.343, 660ft-3.312/264.86 mph.
Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.372, 660ft-3.356/260.26 mph.

Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.091/310.13, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.066/310.41, Was #3

Force gets the single this session, as Densham chooses not to run.

The Force Bain Trust puts together another strong pass. The 25th Anniversary Castrol Mustang runs straight and true to the finish line. Pretty!

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.909 sec., 330ft-2.336, 660ft-3.303/265.74 mph.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.131/306.88, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.062/312.35, Was #2
Right Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 7.011/86.96, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.093/310.70, Was #6

Force smokes the tires before the 330 lights and lifts.

Worsham had an identical 0.908 sixty foot time and finally makes another clean pass, slowing a little from his best.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.341, 660ft-3.332/260.66 mph.
Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.612, 660ft-4.634/108.52 mph.

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 7.291/89.44, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.059/312.86, Was #1
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.783/167.43, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.091/308.64, Was #5

The DSR team moves Hagan over a half a car to the left before his burnout.

No joy here, as both casr surcum to traction problems. Height is first, before the 330 lights and then Hagan beforethe 660 lights.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.606, 660ft-4.751/098.64 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.314, 660ft-3.466/190.14 mph.

That's a wrap for Funny Car qualifying.

6:14 p.m. Hight stays #1 at 4.059 and Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 4.300.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink