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Sat, 4 Sep 2010, 02:14 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dan Bennett

CLERMONT, Ind. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil 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: Brian Harvanek Runs 5.891/240.42, Now #11; No Prior Run

1:34 p.m.

Harvanek just got a new engine and had set out the previous qualifying sessions. This will be the maiden voyage for their new combination.

And it's a good one. The team now has some good data to tune from.

Left Lane: Larry Dobbs Runs 6.724/234.33, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: John Bojec Runs 5.620/256.06, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.743/250.32, Was #8

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.07 inches, adjusted altitude 2,563 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Dobbs was very lazy off the line, and then the car kept moving left so he drove alongside the wall for most of the pass. In the meantime, Bojec lays down some impressive numbers and shoots all the way up to the second slot.

John Bojec's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.501, 660ft-3.710/204.85 mph, 1,000ft-4.743.

Left Lane: Thomas Carter Runs 5.735/241.28, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.309/185.33, Was #14
Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.660/252.76, Now #6; Best prior run: 14.642/56.17, Was #19

Harker has had two busted runs so far and that's just not a normal thing for the team.

Both teams lay down passes more like they're known for. Harker's Monte Carlo waggled a bit on the gear change, but not enough to pucker anything. Carter was very straight and smooth.

Thomas Carter's incremental times: 60ft-0.979 sec., 330ft-2.534, 660ft-3.757/201.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.813.
Steve Harker's incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.512, 660ft-3.728/203.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.772.

Left Lane: John Hart Runs 6.486/234.70, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.037/233.88, Was #15
Right Lane: Wayne Butler Runs 6.102/229.74, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.590/238.09, Was #16

Hart was very aggressive on the leave but the bad news is that all that agressiveness went over the ability of the track to handle it. What started out as average quivering turned into serious shake that took the car out of the groove.

Butler just needs to find some more power as he was pretty much in the groove the whole way down.

Left Lane: Rick Cortino Runs 5.936/232.71, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.990/237.34, Was #14
Right Lane: Don Devault Runs 6.512/210.93, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.917/183.15, Was #19

Devault's Camaro was hopping on the leave, and even after numerous lifts of the pedal didn't get settled down until way down track.

Devault steps up a bunch but still doesn't get in.

Wayne Butler is on the bump spot at 6.102.

Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.721/255.34, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.766/250.18, Was #12
Right Lane: Cassie Simonton Runs 5.693/253.80, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.725/149.08, Was #19

Nice side by side race. Cassie gets in and Jay steps up.

Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.890/173.49, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.766/254.14, Was #13
Right Lane: Alexis De Joria Runs 5.580/257.78, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.633/257.92, Was #5

Another great pair with Lombardo slightly ahead until we see his chutes deploy at about 800 or 900 feet. He noses over and Alexis steams on through all the way up to the second spot.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.459, 660ft-3.660/206.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.748.
Alexis De Joria's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.689/206.64 mph, 1,000ft-4.711.

Left Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.740/249.39, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.709/249.39, Was #10
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.498/261.37, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.532/258.47, Was #1

Bartone gets everybody talking with a stout pass, with career best numbers on both ET and speed.

Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.948 sec., 330ft-2.450, 660ft-3.630/210.28 mph, 1,000ft-4.639.

Left Lane: Brent Henry Runs 5.638/257.68, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.674/253.66, Was #8
Right Lane: Vern Moats Runs 5.674/257.33, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.668/255.77, Was #7

Two straight passes, with the sound of someone slapping the pedal at least once.

Left Lane: Fred Hagen Jr. Runs 5.550/260.56, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.626/252.95, Was #4
Right Lane: Mickey Ferro Runs 5.579/256.45, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.632/253.99, Was #5

The final two cars in the session go right up the ladder. Bartone is still way out there for the top spot, and John Hart is on the bump.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink