Sat, 10 Apr 2010, 09:02 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

BAYTOWN, Texas - Notes from final, round 4 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:

---

Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.246/279.32, Now #13; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 30.17 inches, adjusted altitude 1,028 feet, track temperature 91 degrees.

Lee gets into the show...Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.422, 660ft-3.420/260.36 mph.

---

Left Lane: Todd Simpson Runs 4.678/190.86, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.314/96.69, Was #17
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.502/198.35, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.264/291.70, Was #14

Diehl starts to mix up cylinders and clicks it off...Simpson is pushing out a head gasket and he clicks it off.

---

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.246/292.71, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.432/106.04, Was #17
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.124/305.15, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.183/302.75, Was #12

Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 30.14 inches, adjusted altitude 956 feet, track temperature 82 degrees.

Tasca with his quickest pass of the weekend to move up the ladder a couple spots. Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.339, 660ft-3.323/263.20 mph. Pedregon with his quickest pass of the weekend to get into the show and that bumps out his brother. Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.406, 660ft-3.416/254.86 mph.

---

Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.296/260.16, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.566/163.63, Was #17
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 7.160/85.21, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.176/303.64, Was #12

Troxel started to lose traction early and clicked it off. Pedregon is on good run until around 800 feet when he pushed out a head gasket. But he still gets into the show and that bumps out Simpson.

---

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.119/305.08, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.098/306.12, Was #9
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.134/304.94, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.129/300.33, Was #11

A couple good looking passes, but neither one improves. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.356, 660ft-3.323/265.64 mph.
Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.358, 660ft-3.333/264.55 mph.

---

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.762/172.25, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.097/311.63, Was #8
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 7.877/83.10, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.096/305.84, Was #7

Worsham is up in smoke by 200 feet and he clicks it off. Beckman makes it a little farther down track before he starts to lose traction.

---

Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 7.843/85.44, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.095/309.98, Was #6
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.635/179.04, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.091/311.99, Was #5

Arend starts to lose traction early and clicks it off....Hagan starts mixing up cylinders on the top end and clicks it off.

---

Left Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.042/314.90, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.060/312.06, Was #3
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.059/314.09, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.089/310.77, Was #4

This was a great drag race...Force Hood ties her career quickest pass and moves up the ladder one spot. Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.306, 660ft-3.265/270.21 mph. Capps with a great pass and this is his career fastest pass at 1000 feet. Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.279/269.94 mph.

---

Left Lane: John Force Runs 5.324/135.91, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.021/316.08, Was #1
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 6.854/94.16, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.051/312.64, Was #3

Hight is up in smoke early and he clicks it off while Force makes it a little farther down track before he starts to smoke the tires.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink