Fri, 9 Apr 2010, 01:32 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

BAYTOWN, Texas - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Lance Van Hauen No Time, Now #2
Right Lane: Vern Moats Runs 5.612/259.51, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 30.14 inches, adjusted altitude 880 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Van Hauen rolled the beams, but still had a nice looking pass. Moats with a great looking pass, running a career best speed on this pass. Vern Moats' incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.512, 660ft-3.720/207.02 mph, 1,000ft-4.747.

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Left Lane: Ro Yale Runs 6.904/156.59, Now #2
Right Lane: Lee Callaway Runs 10.769/65.45, Now #3

Yale was on nice pass until around half track when the car started to slow.Callaway with problems right from the start.

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Left Lane: Steve Burck Runs 5.975/178.31, Now #3
Right Lane: Andy Bohl Runs 5.632/255.77, Now #2

Burck was on a good looking pass until around 1000 feet when it banged the blower and sent the burst relief panel flying high into the air. Bohl with a goode clean pass to start the season.

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Left Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.665/255.10, Now #4
Right Lane: Todd Veney Runs 5.633/258.86, Now #3

A couple good looking passes here with both of them straight down the groove. Chris Foster's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.535, 660ft-3.744/205.22 mph, 1,000ft-4.783.
Todd Veney's incremental times: 60ft-0.993 sec., 330ft-2.531, 660ft-3.734/206.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.765.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.546/260.56, Now #1
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 8.347/108.27, Now #8

Gasparrelli was out of power by half track, and coasted on through the quarter mile. Bartone launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number one spot...Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.487, 660ft-3.670/209.95 mph, 1,000ft-4.685.

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Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 9.251/94.59, Now #9
Right Lane: Alexis De Joria Runs 15.336/49.97, Now #11

DeJoria starts to shake the tires right at the hit....Lombardo Jr. started to lose traction and clicked it off...

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Left Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.546/259.96, Now #2
Right Lane: Mickey Ferro Runs 14.393/50.92, Now #12

Ferro's crew chief isn't here this weekend, he stayed home to watch his son play hockey. Ferro with a lot of tire shake right off the starting line and clicked it off. Harker with a real nice pass to go to the number two spot. Steve Harker's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.482, 660ft-3.666/210.54 mph, 1,000ft-4.682.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink