Fri, 8 Oct 2010, 04:00 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 26th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.208/257.33, Now #1

Burkart driving the Paul Smith Funny Car...and he is straight down the groove with a good clean pass. Phil Burkart's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.355, 660ft-3.345/259.26 mph.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 6.383/119.55, Now #3
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.783/278.00, Now #2

Creasy Jr. starts to lose traction and pedals it and he is back up in smoke and clicks it off. Troxel starts to lose traction and pedals it and gets it to hook back up. Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.697, 660ft-3.894/225.07 mph.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.131/297.35, Now #1

Head launched hard and was on a great pass and it appeared he was dropping cylinders right in the lights...Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.329, 660ft-3.319/259.86 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.272/293.22, Now #3
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 7.984/84.75, Now #6

Pedregon shakes right off the starting line and clicks it off. Arend has a cylinder out or two right at the hit. Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.412, 660ft-3.440/250.83 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.284/243.99, Now #4
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 8.133/82.22, Now #8

Wilkerson starts to lose traction early and clicks it off by 150 feet. Pedregon with a lot engine smoke right in the lights...Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.358, 660ft-3.382/249.53 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.192/300.33, Now #2
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 6.305/103.01, Now #7

Worsham launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.372, 660ft-3.379/255.77 mph. Capps running the special paint scheme this weekend with Pink on the body for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. He starts to lose traction early and pedals it and loses traction again before clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.060/304.94, Now #1
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.934/155.90, Now #8

Tasca III starts to lose traction early and pedals and is back up in smoke before he clicks it off. Hight launched hard and keep it hooked up for a great pass to go to the number one spot...Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.303, 660ft-3.271/265.85 mph. Right after the finish line the engine let go with a big bang a quick flash of flames...he sets both ends of the track record here.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Hood Runs 4.150/293.09, Now #4
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.150/297.94, Now #3

This was a great side-by-side drag race as they run identical E.T.s and Beckman with get the higher spot because of his faster mph. Ashley Force Hood's incremental times: 60ft-0.893 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.324/257.68 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.340, 660ft-3.336/256.60 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.143/296.89, Now #3
Right Lane: John Force Runs 5.309/138.12, Now #12

Force started to lose traction around 300 feet and clicked it off...Hagan with a nice pass to go to the number three spot... Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.332, 660ft-3.330/259.51 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink