Sat, 18 Jun 2011, 07:24 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session |
By Rick Green |
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers 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: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.151/305.91, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.487/225.79, Was #16
Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 73 percent, barometer 28.38 inches, adjusted altitude 3,560 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.
Troxel launched hard and was straight down the groove to get into the top half of the show.
Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.349, 660ft-3.348/257.09 mph.
Left Lane: Daniel Wilkerson Runs 4.274/237.55, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.270/273.44, Was #14
Right Lane: Brian Thiel Runs 4.291/287.17, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.789/92.56, Was #17
Wilkerson was on real good looking pass until on the top end when it started to haze to the tires...Daniel Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.353, 660ft-3.340/258.62 mph.
Thiel with a real nice pass to get in the show...straight down the groove. Brian Thiel's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.395, 660ft-3.438/244.96 mph.
Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.189/300.80, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.268/287.60, Was #13
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.168/303.57, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.805/218.55, Was #17
Head with real nice pass with just a little wiggle on the top end to move up to the number nine spot. Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.367, 660ft-3.364/260.91 mph. Pedregon with his quickest pass of the weekend to move up the ladder one spot. Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.365, 660ft-3.375/254.52 mph.
Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.085/311.99, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.195/300.66, Was #13
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.238/296.89, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.297/287.23, Was #17
Lee is straight down the groove with a good pass to get in the show..Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.411/252.61 mph. Neff Launched hard and keep the Goodyears hooked up to go to the number one spot...this is also the fastest pass of the weekend. Mike Neff's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.327, 660ft-3.300/265.53 mph.
Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.087/306.53, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.183/292.27, Was #12
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.101/309.63, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.224/261.37, Was #14
This was a great drag race as these two go to the number two and three spots. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.338, 660ft-3.297/267.16 mph.
Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.307/263.31 mph.
Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.122/302.48, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.119/302.28, Was #8
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.122/305.98, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.179/300.86, Was #13
This was a great side-by-side drag race as they run identical E.T.s. This will be a round one match up if nothing changes. Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.315/259.81 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.333, 660ft-3.321/260.51 mph.
Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.082/308.07, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.112/303.50, Was #6
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.114/311.63, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.126/307.30, Was #11
This was another great drag race as Hagen goes to the top of the list. Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.321, 660ft-3.289/264.91 mph. apparently he used up an engine on that run as the trucks are rolling for oil. Hagan has a freebie, so this run will stand. Force with his quickest pass of the weekend to get into the top half of the show. John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.338, 660ft-3.324/263.20 mph.
Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.090/311.20, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.110/301.33, Was #6
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.087/311.70, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.125/305.42, Was #11
This is a great side-by-side drag race...Hight moves up the ladder one spot. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.332, 660ft-3.306/266.16 mph. Beckman goes all the way up to the number three spot. Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.334, 660ft-3.300/266.48 mph. After the finish line Beckman had problems with the chutes, and the car got real loose, but he gets it stopped.
Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.056/314.31, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.107/308.21, Was #7
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.483/127.28, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.116/307.51, Was #9
Pedregon is up in smoke around 400 feet and he clicks it off. Tasca with a great pass, his career quickest and fastest to go to the number one spot. Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.311, 660ft-3.276/267.80 mph. Tasca's pass is the eighth fastest in the history of Funny Car in the 1000-foot era. This is only second No. 1 qualifying spot with his other one being in Gainesville at 2009.
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