Sat, 29 Oct 2011, 05:00 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 3 qualifying in 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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Left Lane: Terry Haddock No Time, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Peter Russo Runs 7.025/99.79, Now #14; No Prior Run

1:11 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 18 percent, barometer 27.96 inches, adjusted altitude 3,774 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Russo made a move to the right at the hit, headed for the wall and clicked it off. Haddock gets about 900 feet out, loses a cylinder, then the engine explodes right in the lights.

The Safety Safari rolls and starts the cleanup just past the 660 foot mark all the way through the finish line.

Haddock will lose his ET because of the oil down penalty.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 5.585/136.83, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.269/279.90, Now #13; No Prior Run

Force goes up in smoke about 200 feet out. He stays on the throttle, makes a quick move toward the wall around half track, then backs off the throttle. Diehl makes a clean pass and gets in the show for now.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.797/268.17, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 7.404/90.64, Now #18; No Prior Run

Head loses a cylinder early, gets out of the groove and heads for the wall. He backs off the throttle, gets the car under control, then gets back on the throttle. Lee gets up in smoke about 200 feet out, pedaled, then gave up the run.

John Force is on the bump spot at 5.585.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.319/242.23, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.149/303.64, Was #10
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.807/261.42, Now #16; No Prior Run

Bode gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Beckman was on a decent pass but hazes the tires about 800 feet out and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Mike Neff Runs 4.129/309.27, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.145/309.98, Was #8
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.167/305.29, Now #13; No Prior Run

A good side-by-side here, both right down the groove with no traction problems. Neff keeps the candles lit all the way through the run, the quickest of the round so far, and he moves up a notch to the seventh spot. Tasca was close behind and will get in the show for now, bumping out Bode in the process.

Jim Head is on the bump spot at 4.797.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.953/165.52, Now #18; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 7.015/104.27, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.166/297.48, Was #12

Pedregon strikes the tires about 200 feet out and backs off the throttle. Densham gets about 400 feet out, loses traction and gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Todd Lesenko Runs 4.236/298.60, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.749/176.58, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.162/305.29, Was #11

Arend gets about 600 feet out and starts hazing the tires. Lesenko makes a decent pass and gets in the show in the 14th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.660/122.10, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.141/308.78, Was #8
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.409/136.37, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.148/299.46, Was #9

Capps leaves the line, makes it about 200 feet and goes up in smoke. Wilkerson makes it just a bit further and goes up in smoke.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.118/311.05, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.126/311.99, Was #5
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.975/153.89, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.126/308.00, Was #6

Pedregon gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires and backs off the throttle. Gray goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up a spot to fifth.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 5.061/151.43, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.103/310.20, Was #3
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 5.515/132.62, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.121/305.15, Was #5

DeJoria gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Troxel makes it a little further, loses traction and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.128/306.95, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.085/311.27, Was #1
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.130/308.00, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.093/310.05, Was #2

A couple of impressive runs here, both right down the groove. Hight goes right down the groove with the second best run of the round to pick up a couple of points, Hagan right behind but just the fourth best so he doesn't pick up any bonus points.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink