Sat, 1 Oct 2011, 01:26 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 27th annual Auto-Plus 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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Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 5.173/159.36, Now #13; No Prior Run

12:52 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 29.16 inches, adjusted altitude 1,761 feet, track temperature 76 degrees.

Lee shook the tires to about 200 feet, pedaled it, then clicked it off at the eighth mile. Still, this run got him into the field for now.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 7.936/88.51, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Leah Pruett No Time, Now #18; No Prior Run

Pruett launched and popped the blower on her car immediately. Haddock got out to about 200 feet when he struck the tires and lost a bunch of cylinders.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.246/273.39, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Mike Smith Runs 5.799/229.08, Now #15; No Prior Run

Smith launched, smoked the tires and pedaled. The car jerked and lurched as he finished his trip down the track. Pedregon's car trailed a lot of smoke as it crossed the finish line.

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Left Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 4.193/298.21, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 10.831/69.30, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.142/306.95, Was #12

Tasca shook the rear tires, then smoked them before clicking it off at mid track. Alexander went down the groove to get himself into the field for now.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.314/213.70, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.090/312.21, Was #7
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.060/304.74, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.095/305.42, Was #9

Hight and Pedregon both looked good for the first three-quarters of these runs. After that, Hight's car shut off, while Pedregon continued under power to move up five spots in the order.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.077/305.01, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.104/300.40, Was #11
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 7.404/86.25, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.085/312.35, Was #6

Head took his car down the groove to move up five spots in the order. Neff launched and his car shut down a couple hundred feet down the track.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.039/317.94, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.103/313.22, Was #11
Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 4.481/281.42, Now #15; No Prior Run

Beckman had some tire shake but drove right through it to move up eight spots and into the third place in the qualifying order for now. Creasy was not as quick but did get himself into the field for now.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 9.528/89.18, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.085/307.16, Was #9
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 7.805/82.47, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.094/311.63, Was #11

Wilkerson went up in smoke as soon as he launched. Arend got out about 200 feet before he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.011/319.22, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.061/314.31, Was #6
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.388/204.98, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.059/315.27, Was #4

Force let loose with his career best ET to move to the top of the qualifying order for now. Capps had some tire smoke and clicked it off at mid track.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.632/177.51, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.012/316.67, Was #2
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.034/317.57, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.023/318.24, Was #3

Hagan got out to mid track when the engine in his car let go. Gray had a good run down the track but was not as quick as in the second session.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink