Sat, 9 Oct 2010, 03:04 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol 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: Wayne Butler Runs 6.417/207.43, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.365/154.37, Was #16
Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.605/256.99, Now #1; Best prior run: 9.687/88.47, Was #17

2:39 p.m. -- Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.37 inches, adjusted altitude 2,588 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

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Left Lane: John Headley Runs 6.102/212.16, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.472/170.11, Was #16
Right Lane: Bill Naves Runs 6.276/206.86, Now #14; Best prior run: 7.046/187.00, Was #17

Headley had his quickest run of the two sessions and moved up three spots in the order. Naves got into the show with his best run of the weekend so far.

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Left Lane: Todd Veney Runs 5.870/228.61, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.792/253.71, Was #10
Right Lane: John Bojec Runs 5.626/255.97, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.355/228.31, Was #16

Veney's run looked good until he got to 1,000 feet and the engine let go. Bojec was quicker than yesterday and moved up 14 spots in the order.

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Left Lane: Dan Pomponio Runs 5.778/231.56, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.779/252.28, Was #9
Right Lane: Wayne Morris Runs 5.733/248.48, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.316/194.13, Was #16

Pomponio's car popped the blower as he crossed the finish line and sent the burst panel into the air. Morris moved up 10 spots in the order with a good run down the quarter mile.

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Left Lane: Frank Schuster Runs 5.778/252.28, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.768/250.04, Was #9
Right Lane: Paul Gill Runs 5.618/250.09, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.033/218.94, Was #14

Gill moved up 12 spots in order with a clean run down the track. When Gill moved up, he pushed Schuster down one spot.

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Left Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 6.751/150.43, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.765/255.82, Was #9
Right Lane: Brian Harvanek Runs 5.715/252.71, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.788/235.27, Was #12

Manzo has been at all 26 national events her at Maple Grove Raceway. before this race, he's been the top qualifier nine times

This time, Manzo launched, shook the tires and drifted out of the groove. His car started to bounce and he clicked it off early. This is only the third time that Manzo has been in the bottom half of the field here at a Maple Grove national event.

Harvanek took his car down the groove and moved up six spots in the qualifying order.

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Left Lane: Thomas Carter Runs 5.701/254.23, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.733/253.75, Was #7
Right Lane: Fred Tigges Runs 5.682/255.29, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.735/240.04, Was #9

Tigges got close to the wall at the end of this run but stayed with it to move up five spots in the order. Carter moved up one spot in the order but because Tigges leapt over him, he stayed in the number seven spot for now.

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Left Lane: John Anderika Runs 5.638/253.99, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.685/252.28, Was #5
Right Lane: Eric Lourie Runs 5.708/251.44, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.698/251.34, Was #6

Anderika was quicker than the first session and moved up one spot in the order. Lourie was not as quick as the first session and stayed in the sixth spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink