Sat, 10 Apr 2010, 05:32 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

BAYTOWN, Texas - Notes from round 3 qualifying in 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Right Lane: Todd Simpson Runs 7.314/96.69, Now #13; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 30.16 inches, adjusted altitude 975 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Simpson made a quick move toward the wall as soon as he launched and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.096/305.84, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.137/302.62, Was #9
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.432/106.04, Now #13; No Prior Run

Pedregon starts to lose traction and clicks it off. Worsham with nice pass to move into the top half of the show...Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.327, 660ft-3.300/264.08 mph.

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Left Lane: Jim Head No Time, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.129/300.33, Was #9
Right Lane: Paul Lee No Time, Now #15; No Prior Run

Lee started dropping cylinders on the left side and the car is pushed to the center and then collects the finish line timing blocks...he gets the to finish line before Head so Head won't get a time for this pass either.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.264/291.70, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.566/163.63, Now #14; No Prior Run

Pedregon has one of the Hertzog bodies on after his big engine explosion yesterday. Pedregon starts to smoke tires early and clicked it off. Diehl with his quickest pass of the weekend to get into the show. Jeff Diehl's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.394, 660ft-3.426/249.53 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.091/311.99, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.179/295.46, Was #11
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 6.133/109.82, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.098/306.12, Was #8

wilkerson started to lose traction early and clicked it off...Hagan with a real nice pass, the quickest of the round. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.445, 660ft-4.128/127.25 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.480/200.38, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.183/302.75, Was #12
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 7.353/90.61, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.097/311.63, Was #8

Beckman starts to smoke the tires early and clicks it off. Tasca III clicks it off early.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 6.204/106.93, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.176/303.64, Was #11
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 7.530/87.50, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.095/309.98, Was #6

Arend starts to smoke the tires...then Troxel is up in smoke and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 6.176/107.10, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.089/310.77, Was #4
Right Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.089/310.63, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.060/312.06, Was #3

Capps starts to haze the tires and clicks it off...Force Hood with a great looking pass, she doesn't improve. She runs the quickest pass of the round...Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.329, 660ft-3.300/267.00 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 8.051/81.66, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.051/312.64, Was #2
Right Lane: John Force Runs 6.327/106.55, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.021/316.08, Was #1

Hight starts to smoke the tires right off the starting line and clicks it off. Force makes it a little farther down track before he starts to smoke the tires.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink