Fri, 8 Oct 2010, 07:48 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 2 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.160/303.78, Now #6; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 7.768/89.27, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.383/119.55, Was #14

Creasy Jr. starts to loos traction early and clicks it off. Lee launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight all the way thorugh the 1000 feet to get in the top half of the show. Lee with a career fastesat pass. Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.354, 660ft-3.354/258.07 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.094/306.12, Now #2; Best prior run: 8.133/82.22, Was #17
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.191/277.26, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.284/243.99, Was #10

Wilkerson with a great looking pass with header flames shooting high over the roof line all the way through the 1000 feet. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.333, 660ft-3.298/264.96 mph. Pedregon was on a good looking pass until right before the lights when it got real loose and the engine let go with a big fireball. Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.340, 660ft-3.350/253.71 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 9.728/82.84, Now #17; Best prior run: 7.984/84.75, Was #17
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 8.894/79.56, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.272/293.22, Was #11

Pedregon with a lot shake as soon as he hit the throttle and clicks it off. Arend starts to lose traction around 150 feet and he clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.068/307.02, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.305/103.01, Was #15
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.096/309.20, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.192/300.33, Was #9

This was a great drag race...Capps goes to the number two spot...Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.878 sec., 330ft-2.298, 660ft-3.277/264.65 mph. worsham with a great pass and sets the top speed of the event...Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.324, 660ft-3.304/263.41 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.057/311.27, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.309/138.12, Was #15
Right Lane: Ashley Force Hood No Time, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.150/293.09, Was #8

Force launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number one spot with the quickest and fastest pass of the weekend. John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.313, 660ft-3.275/267.91 mph. Force Hood got real loose right and then the engine let go with a huge bang that sent the body airborne. She did a great job driving the car after the huge explosion and getting the car stopped.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.085/306.95, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.934/155.90, Was #15
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.011/311.56, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.143/296.89, Was #7

Tasca with a great pass to go to the number five spot...Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.316, 660ft-3.290/263.82 mph. Hagan launched hard and keep it hooked up all the way through the 1000 feet to make the second quickest pass in Funny Car history. Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.279, 660ft-3.231/269.56 mph.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 5.822/96.76, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.783/278.00, Was #15
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 6.408/100.52, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.131/297.35, Was #8

Troxel banged the blower just past half track as the chutes deployed...Head started to lose traction and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.068/308.00, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.150/297.94, Was #9
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.065/310.05, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.060/304.94, Was #3

This was a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up day one of funny Car qualifying. No help here for Hight, but still another grat pass. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.306, 660ft-3.277/265.12 mph. Beckman was right there with Hight to move up to the number four spot...Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.825 sec., 330ft-2.313, 660ft-3.282/265.74 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink