Sat, 25 Jun 2011, 06:08 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Fifth annual Summit Racing Equipment 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: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.210/284.33, Now #13; No Prior Run

5:32 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 28.99 inches, adjusted altitude 3,001 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Troxel is able to keep the slicks stuck this time and goes on through with a decent pass to get in the show.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 6.020/114.96, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.571/141.37, Was #16
Right Lane: Jon Capps Runs 4.270/267.85, Now #15; Best prior run: 8.609/72.89, Was #21

Creasy gets about 400 feet out and the candles go out, not sure why. Capps makes a good run and gets in the show in the 15th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.433/222.44, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.890/185.89, Was #16
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.231/281.30, Now #14; Best prior run: 7.164/83.39, Was #21

Arend goes right down the groove and gets in the field in the 14th spot for now. Haddock was on a decent pass, then starts mixing up cylinders about 500 feet out. A huge ball of flames come from under the car then the burst panel flies high into the air. He rolls through the lights and comes to a stop near the end of the track.

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Left Lane: Brian Thiel Runs 10.880/78.72, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.256/292.52, Was #15
Right Lane: Daniel Wilkerson Runs 4.137/295.08, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.214/124.43, Was #21

Thiel hits the throttle and goes up in smoke. Wilkerson goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the year to get in the show in the sixth spot.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.253/261.67, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.194/280.25, Was #11
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.449/238.05, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.922/242.84, Was #21

Gray was on a decent pass, then gets about 600 feet out and loses traction. the rear of the car starts dancing around at that point, the car makes a move to the left, then back to the right, and he backs off the throttle. Pedregon makes a decent pass but slowed near the end of the run.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.171/290.38, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.164/294.75, Was #8
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.153/287.41, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.688/125.59, Was #21

Two good, clean runs, both right down the groove. Pedregon gets in the show and goes around Wilkerson, bumping Wilkerson down a notch to the ninth spot.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 11.056/67.70, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.143/304.05, Was #7
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.197/298.21, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.205/291.57, Was #14

Tasca goes up in smoke at the hit and has to give up on the run. Bode makes another clean pass and moves up a notch to 13th for now.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.134/292.96, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.110/309.06, Was #5
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.325/231.08, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.199/295.53, Was #14

Neff goes right down the groove with another good run but doesn't improve. Head was right with Neff, then drifted out of the groove and had to back off the throttle to avoid hitting the wall.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.144/289.45, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.106/304.32, Was #4
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.167/286.74, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.188/244.16, Was #11

Two good looking passes, both right down the groove. Hagan doesn't improve but Beckman moves up to the tenth spot.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.147/288.77, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.095/299.26, Was #2
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.522/201.49, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.184/306.26, Was #11

Lee was on a decent pass but the candles went out about 700 feet out, not sure why. Capps makes a decent pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.130/297.68, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.065/306.53, Was #1
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.205/290.82, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.097/307.51, Was #3

A good side-by-side for the Force team, both right down the groove, but neither driver improves.

That ends qualifying for this class, Hight takes the pole and will run Arend in the first round tomorrow.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink