Fri, 28 Oct 2011, 06:04 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Big O 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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Right Lane: Jordan Pawlick Runs 6.002/234.37, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.361/182.33, Was #13

2:42 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 15 percent, barometer 27.98 inches, adjusted altitude 3,882 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

Pawlick drifts to the left early in the run but is able to hold it off the line for a decent run to improve on his earlier attempt.

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Left Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 23.042/20.93, Now #15; Best prior run: 11.757/99.21, Was #15
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.684/254.57, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.160/211.03, Was #12

Thompson has problems at the hit and backs off the throttle quickly. Hool goes right down the groove and improves to the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.685/256.26, Now #6; Best prior run: 8.909/125.74, Was #14
Right Lane: Jeff Ashwell Runs 5.947/242.41, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.142/243.50, Was #12

No traction problems for Payne this time, right down the groove to move up to the sixth spot. Ashwell improves and moves up a notch in the order.

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Left Lane: John Evanchuk Runs 9.813/71.78, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.230/220.33, Was #14
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.609/259.66, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.987/195.56, Was #12

Evanchuk's car stumbled off the line, then he backs off the throttle about 300 feet out. Lombardo makes a clean run and moves up to the second spot. for now.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.719/254.90, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.839/243.59, Was #11
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 24.792/23.23, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.772/251.86, Was #9

Westerfield goes up in smoke at the hit and has to give up on the run. Gasparrelli makes a clean run to move up to the ninth spot.

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Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.766/250.64, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.805/251.81, Was #11
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 7.855/112.98, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.717/253.04, Was #8

Gordon makes a move to the right at the hit, gets close to the wall about 300 feet out and wisely backs off the throttle. Bellemeur goes right down the groove and moves up a notch in the order.

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Left Lane: Paul Gill Runs 5.675/256.65, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.659/255.39, Was #3
Right Lane: Roger Bateman Runs 9.687/119.73, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.681/253.33, Was #5

Bateman goes up in smoke at the hit and has to back off the throttle. Gill made a decent pass but couldn't improve on his earlier attempt.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.571/259.86, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.560/260.51, Was #1
Right Lane: Fred Tigges No Time, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.668/252.95, Was #4

Tigges drifts to the left at the hit then takes out the timing blocks at half track. Bartone went right down the groove with another good run.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink