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Sun, 5 Sep 2010, 01:50 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #4

By David Gerard

CLERMONT, Ind. - Notes from round 4 qualifying in 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:

Left Lane: John Smith Runs 4.166/299.46, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.120/300.20, Now #11; No Prior Run

12:59 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 35 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 2,381 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

We have reset all of the 13 through 19 qualifiers ET's and will start the session without a bump spot. We had a great Pro Stock Bike and Car session, so this should be good!

Nice side by side passes to start the next to last session. Both cars run better than they have all weekend, but the test will be whether these times are good enough to stay in the field.

They left together and aLee began a slow but steady march ahead of Smith going down the track.

John Smith's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.355, 660ft-3.355/258.17 mph.
Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.333, 660ft-3.315/262.23 mph.

Left Lane: Justin Schriefer Runs 4.402/229.16, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.255/276.80, Now #15; No Prior Run

Diehl gets his full pass and its good enough to slide him into the 15th spot for now.

Schriefer sets a new personal best ET on a clean pass and will take the bump spot on this pass.

Justin Schriefer's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.399, 660ft-3.435/241.89 mph.
Jeff Diehl's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.385, 660ft-3.409/250.23 mph.

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.095/305.29, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.055/310.98, Was #3
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.127/298.47, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.058/312.86, Was #5

These two JFR team members both had problems in last nights session.

No issues today, with both cars making full passes without any drama. Hight leaves first and stays there with better incrementals down the track. They will stay in their current #3 and 35 positions for now.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.324, 660ft-3.299/263.72 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.331, 660ft-3.318/260.86 mph.

Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.232/293.92, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.146/303.64, Was #13
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.154/297.16, Now #14; No Prior Run

Worsham finally gets his tune up pass. It's not spectacular, but good enough for now.

Troxel is dropping cylinders and can't match her prior best.

Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.930 sec., 330ft-2.386, 660ft-3.401/250.23 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.342/259.36 mph.

Left Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.077/306.19, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.059/310.98, Was #6
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.076/302.96, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.136/303.16, Was #12

Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 4.255.

Two more side by side passes with both cars running almost identical ET's.

Beckman gets a small advantage off the line and slowly pulls ahead right on down the track to move five spot up the ladder into the top half of the field.

Force Hood has a clean pass, but doesn't improve on her #6 position.

Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.314, 660ft-3.286/265.33 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.304, 660ft-3.279/263.00 mph.

Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.095/296.96, Now #9; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Brian Thiel Runs 7.569/91.83, Now #19; No Prior Run

Terrific pass for Head, running better than his season best ET. He goes from outside to near the middle of the field.

Thiel get waay loose and has the back end of the Impala swinging back and forth off the line. He wisely clicks it off.

Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.318, 660ft-3.291/264.13 mph.

Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.419/134.23, Now #19; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.147/302.82, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.110/307.02, Was #12

Pedregon is now down to his last chance, as he loses traction right before the 660 lights and lifts.

Arend can't improve his ET or position, but runs his fastest run of the weekend to stay #12.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.348, 660ft-3.344/259.81 mph.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.510/129.75, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.104/297.02, Was #10
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.126/281.36, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.109/298.14, Was #11

Bode continues to show his new found power and makes another full pass, close to his prior best. The car drops a cylinder and has a engine flash right near the near the lights.

Wilkerson's Mustang wasn't happy at the green and finally kicks the tires after the 330 lights and slows.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.396, 660ft-3.825/149.55 mph.
Bob Bode's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.302, 660ft-3.288/256.45 mph.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.633/169.93, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.057/311.34, Was #4
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.127/302.55, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.086/306.33, Was #8

They leave together and Pedregon has better numbers down low, but strike the tires right at the 66o lights and slows.

Tasca keeps the candles lit and runs a nice four twelve to stay #8.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.306, 660ft-3.385/206.80 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.335, 660ft-3.325/261.02 mph.

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.107/297.88, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.039/277.89, Was #1
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.209/253.28, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.049/309.77, Was #2

Lots of cleaning in Pedregon's lane after the finish line lights, so we have a brief delay.

1:42 p.m. ...and we are back [finally]. The rest of the DSR FC's come to the line.

Hagan gets the best of it with a nice four ten to wrap up the session. Capps was right with him until near the lights, where the car slowed.

1:45 p.m. John Smith is on the bump spot at 4.166.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink