Drag Race Central | Presented by Summitracing.com

Fri, 21 Oct 2011, 06:36 PM

Nostalgia Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Nostalgia Funny Car at the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, 20th annual California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 5.846/234.13, Now #1
Right Lane: Donny Watkins Runs 6.306/206.39, Now #2

Great looking pass for the War Eagle. the car is away with a stout 0.0964 sixty foot time and sets the mark for the rest of the field. He has too much fun after the lights, as the chute doesn't come out.

Watkins jumps the lights and slows on the top end.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.526, 660ft-3.783/191.19 mph, 1,000ft-4.895.

Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 5.698/241.58, Now #1
Right Lane: Dale Van Gundy Runs 6.145/225.15, Now #3

Two more good passes with Romine's Mustang marching away off the line with a terrific top end charge.

Van Gundy is clean and green to run into the six teens.

Paul Romine's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.536, 660ft-3.758/202.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.800.
Dale Van Gundy's incremental times: 60ft-1.049 sec., 330ft-2.690, 660ft-4.017/188.67 mph, 1,000ft-5.161.

Left Lane: Roger Garten Runs 5.892/241.32, Now #3
Right Lane: Dwayne Patton Runs 5.966/237.46, Now #4

The funny cars are putting on a great show for the fans.

Both cars leave hard with Garten taking the advantage early and passing Patton quickly. He takes over the current #3 spot.

Roger Garten's incremental times: 60ft-1.004 sec., 330ft-2.597, 660ft-3.865/192.38 mph, 1,000ft-4.963.
Dwayne Patton's incremental times: 60ft-1.022 sec., 330ft-2.629, 660ft-3.924/190.81 mph, 1,000ft-5.027.

Left Lane: Brad Thompson Runs 6.010/228.61, Now #5
Right Lane: Mike Halstead Runs 11.279/72.72, Now #8

Halstead was away first and then spun the tires before the 330 lights and slowed.

Thompson makes a strong pass into the current top half of the field.

Brad Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-1.016 sec., 330ft-2.645, 660ft-3.941/190.08 mph, 1,000ft-5.052.

Left Lane: Dennis Taylor Runs 6.293/226.66, Now #7
Right Lane: Steve Rajcic No Time, Now #10

Taylor's Mustang is "Evil, Wicked, Mean, & Nasty", but looks great!

Rajcic is too eager and jumps the lights big time. Taylor's car is a little lazy off the line and slows down track.

Dennis Taylor's incremental times: 60ft-1.118 sec., 330ft-2.852, 660ft-4.185/185.33 mph, 1,000ft-5.326.

Left Lane: John Hale Runs 5.866/243.06, Now #3
Right Lane: Chris Bennett Runs 6.261/227.57, Now #8

Strong pass for Hale into the five eighties. Bennett had a better sixty foot time, but was quickly passed by Hale.

John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.993 sec., 330ft-2.587, 660ft-3.863/194.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.946.
Chris Bennett's incremental times: 60ft-0.982 sec., 330ft-2.763, 660ft-4.142/181.98 mph, 1,000ft-5.289.

Left Lane: Lee Paul Jennings Jr Runs 6.041/245.23, Now #7
Right Lane: Will Martin Runs 6.287/243.41, Now #10

Martin is away first and then has to slap the pedal before mid-track.

Jennings has better numbers from start to finish and jumps into the current #7 spot.

Lee Paul Jennings Jr's incremental times: 60ft-1.004 sec., 330ft-2.703, 660ft-4.038/188.94 mph, 1,000ft-5.133.
Will Martin's incremental times: 60ft-1.033 sec., 330ft-2.916, 660ft-4.257/188.91 mph, 1,000ft-5.364.

Left Lane: Mark Hentges Runs 5.886/241.20, Now #5
Right Lane: Kris Krabill Runs 5.875/248.16, Now #4

Lots of shake off the line for Krabill and he drives through it and captures the #4 spot for his efforts.

Hentges' Arrow was a little slow off the line, but had big power down track to slide into the #5 spot behind Krabill

Mark Hentges' incremental times: 60ft-1.027 sec., 330ft-2.646, 660ft-3.897/198.15 mph, 1,000ft-4.965.
Kris Krabill's incremental times: 60ft-1.003 sec., 330ft-2.646, 660ft-3.901/197.22 mph, 1,000ft-4.971.

Left Lane: Dan Horan Jr No Time, Now #18
Right Lane: Mike Lewis Runs 8.239/99.99, Now #15

This pair will give us a bump spot with a bunch of cars yet to run.

Well, not a pair, as Horan has problems and is pulled off to the side.

Lewis has a 1.008 sixty foot time and then clicks it early.

Left Lane: Shawn Nault Runs 6.276/218.76, Now #13
Right Lane: Dennis La Charite Runs 5.837/231.48, Now #2

Mike Halstead is on the bump spot at 11.279.

Nault's crew works on the Cuda for a long time after the burnout and finally lowers the body.

La Charite's GTO has a good leave and then there was "Stuff" coming out from underneath the car on the top end. The dreaded plumb of smoke followed at the finish line and we are checking the track for oil. He still runs into the current #2 spot.

Nault's Cuda was second off the line and chased the GTO down the track.

Shawn Nault's incremental times: 60ft-1.067 sec., 330ft-2.769, 660ft-4.120/185.72 mph, 1,000ft-5.264.
Dennis La Charite's incremental times: 60ft-1.004 sec., 330ft-2.593, 660ft-3.838/197.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.908.

Left Lane: Rian Konno Runs 7.863/120.19, Now #17
Right Lane: Ed Dougan No Time, Now #20

2:06 p.m. That took a long while! Donny Watkins is on the bump spot at 6.306. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 28.97 inches, adjusted altitude 2,943 feet, track temperature 111 degrees.

Dougan's crew has him shut off the engine before the burn out and is pushed away.

Konno's Mustang is way soft early and may not have shifted down track. He is out of the throttle before mid-track and won't qualify in this session.

Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 6.247/244.43, Now #13
Right Lane: Ronny Young Runs 5.822/247.61, Now #2

Hmmm, more cleaning on the track. Left lane this time, about 300 feet out.

2:19 p.m. Time to start the next pair...

Head is Jim Head's son and making, to my knowledge, his first qualifying pass. A little rookie jitters and the car jumps into a deep stage before the green. He waits until it good and green [1.619 RT] and nails the throttle again for a full pass. Still good enough to get in the field for now.

Young takes the Max on a great pass and runs well down the track into the new #2 spot on the ladder! Nice...

Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-1.334 sec., 330ft-2.969, 660ft-4.248/193.68 mph, 1,000ft-5.331.
Ronny Young's incremental times: 60ft-1.050 sec., 330ft-2.608, 660ft-3.849/198.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.917.

Left Lane: Nate Bugg Runs 6.666/160.84, Now #19
Right Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 17.031/45.14, Now #23

Rupert is running the Mert Littlefield tribute Camaro. The car has a great sixtyfoot time and the car started to shutter hard. The tires come unstuck and he lifts.

Bugg's Monza is soft off the line and finishes the run with a wall of smoke. Nothing on the track, so the call goes out to start the next pair.

Left Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 7.947/107.33, Now #22
Right Lane: Steve Densham Runs 6.121/241.54, Now #12

Will Martin is on the bump spot at 6.287.

Densham misses the green and runs right on down the track and into the new #12 spot on a clean pass.

Peasley has a much better sixty foot and 330 times, but has to pump the throttle before mid-track and it costs him a bunch.

Milk Peasley's incremental times: 60ft-1.002 sec., 330ft-2.684, 660ft-4.256/141.94 mph, 1,000ft-6.028.
Steve Densham's incremental times: 60ft-1.228 sec., 330ft-2.834, 660ft-4.102/199.37 mph, 1,000ft-5.193.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.840/240.64, Now #4
Right Lane: Claude D. LaVoie Runs 5.930/240.38, Now #10

Shawn Nault is on the bump spot at 6.276.

Capps is driving the Worsham Family Arrow and he shows that he knows how to get it done, running clean into the #4 spot.

LaVoie makes a nice five ninety pass, but has to settle for thee current #10 spot in the bottom half of the field!

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-1.024 sec., 330ft-2.631, 660ft-3.869/200.56 mph, 1,000ft-4.924.
Claude D. LaVoie's incremental times: 60ft-1.011 sec., 330ft-2.611, 660ft-3.892/190.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.998.

Left Lane: Jon Capps Runs 5.804/248.48, Now #2
Right Lane: Steve Nichols Runs 5.925/240.81, Now #11

Chad Head is on the bump spot at 6.247.

Capps leaves with a great 0.999 sixty foot time and makes a strong pass right into the new #2 spot with ease.\\Nichols is way late off the line and cards a five second pass.

Jon Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.999 sec., 330ft-2.589, 660ft-3.831/198.50 mph, 1,000ft-4.901.
Steve Nichols' incremental times: 60ft-1.037 sec., 330ft-2.658, 660ft-3.930/194.55 mph, 1,000ft-5.005.

Left Lane: Kerbin Kinsley Runs 6.521/212.90, Now #24

Steve Densham is on the bump spot at 6.121.

Kinsley has a weird burnout and has a soft leave and will have to wait until tomorrow to get into the tough field.

2:38 p.m. Paul Romine stays number one at 5.698, with three cars not posting times.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink