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Sat, 20 Oct 2012, 17:18 PM

Nostalgia Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Nostalgia Funny Car at the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, California Hot Rod Reunion XXI 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:

Left Lane: Ed Dougan Runs 6.311/214.14, Now #25; Best prior run: 6.680/183.32, Was #27
Right Lane: Chris Davis Runs 6.563/203.58, Now #27; Best prior run: 6.585/205.38, Was #26

12:51 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.18 inches, adjusted altitude 2,435 feet.

Tim Boychuk is on the bump spot at 6.013.

Both cars get to the finish line under power, but neither will make the field today.

Ed Dougan's incremental times: 60ft-1.094 sec., 330ft-2.811, 660ft-4.164/182.70 mph, 1,000ft-5.313.
Chris Davis' incremental times: 60ft-1.262 sec., 330ft-2.963, 660ft-4.326/183.17 mph, 1,000ft-5.510.

Left Lane: Rick Rogers Runs 5.940/234.66, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.039/230.57, Was #17
Right Lane: Mike Lewis Runs 5.941/216.17, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.820/243.15, Was #1

Lewis' Mustang isn't as strong today and slows on the top end.

Rogers gets a much better run today and powers up the ladder into the field in the new number eleven spot.

Rick Rogers' incremental times: 60ft-0.993 sec., 330ft-2.587, 660ft-3.886/190.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.994.
Mike Lewis' incremental times: 60ft-1.011 sec., 330ft-2.595, 660ft-3.867/198.20 mph, 1,000ft-4.965.

Left Lane: Dwayne Patton Runs 5.983/235.10, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.064/233.68, Was #21
Right Lane: John Powers Runs 6.126/237.17, Now #22; No Prior Run

James Day is on the bump spot at 6.006.

Patton finds the power he needs and move into the bump spot with a five second pass.

Powers gets to the finish line under power this time, but isn't anywhere near the bump.

Dwayne Patton's incremental times: 60ft-1.006 sec., 330ft-2.623, 660ft-3.922/189.68 mph, 1,000ft-5.034.
John Powers' incremental times: 60ft-1.118 sec., 330ft-2.787, 660ft-4.109/190.00 mph, 1,000ft-5.205.

Left Lane: Tim Nemeth Runs 5.968/242.36, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.979/237.55, Was #14
Right Lane: Steve Nichols Runs 6.045/206.29, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.232/215.07, Was #24

Both cars make better passes than yesterday and Nemeth moves a spot up the ladder to #13. No joy for Nichols.

Tim Nemeth's incremental times: 60ft-1.009 sec., 330ft-2.645, 660ft-3.935/191.54 mph, 1,000ft-5.039.
Steve Nichols' incremental times: 60ft-1.031 sec., 330ft-2.639, 660ft-3.926/191.02 mph, 1,000ft-5.030.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.027/215.51, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.972/217.14, Was #14
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 5.760/250.37, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.851/248.93, Was #7

Two famous FC names, but Char doesn't have the same experience, as Pedregon. Looks like youth takes the day, as Head's funny car thunders down the track to take over the new top spot on a clean pass.

Pedregon's Trans-Am was strong down low, but slows a little from yesterday's numbers.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.993 sec., 330ft-2.619, 660ft-3.917/190.54 mph, 1,000ft-5.034.
Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.983 sec., 330ft-2.580, 660ft-3.812/200.86 mph, 1,000ft-4.865.

Left Lane: Dan Horan Jr Runs 5.800/246.35, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.838/250.92, Was #6
Right Lane: John Hale Runs 9.233/94.47, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.056/193.88, Was #21

Dwayne Patton is on the bump spot at 5.983.

Hale's chances to take the 2012 FC Championship literally go up in smoke right before the 330 lights, He pumps the throttle, but it doesn't help.

Horan makes a statement with a terrific run into the new number two spot.

Dan Horan Jr's incremental times: 60ft-1.008 sec., 330ft-2.617, 660ft-3.853/200.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.907.

Left Lane: Kris Krabill Runs 5.864/249.21, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.306/240.55, Was #25
Right Lane: James Day Runs 5.954/240.25, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.006/240.68, Was #17

Two clean and strong passes with both cars getting into the field for now.

Krabill really picks up the pace to move into the top half of the field.

Day slows on the top end, but still pick up four spots to get into the current #13 position.

Kris Krabill's incremental times: 60ft-1.024 sec., 330ft-2.654, 660ft-3.900/198.79 mph, 1,000ft-4.963.
James Day's incremental times: 60ft-1.029 sec., 330ft-2.642, 660ft-3.925/192.22 mph, 1,000ft-5.023.

Left Lane: Josh Crawford Runs 5.830/241.20, Now #6; Best prior run: 8.848/82.45, Was #30
Right Lane: Gary Eickman Runs 5.939/242.36, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.982/239.61, Was #17

...and the hits keep coming!

Crawford gets his full pass this time and makes the most of it to charge into the top half of the field.

Eickman tunes up his GTX enough to bump into the field in the new #12 spot.

Josh Crawford's incremental times: 60ft-1.034 sec., 330ft-2.621, 660ft-3.859/199.32 mph, 1,000ft-4.920.
Gary Eickman's incremental times: 60ft-1.034 sec., 330ft-2.629, 660ft-3.906/191.89 mph, 1,000ft-5.010.

Left Lane: Roger Garten Runs 13.419/62.50, Now #26; Best prior run: 6.149/242.15, Was #26
Right Lane: Dennis Taylor Runs 6.203/229.59, Now #27; No Prior Run

Jason Rupert is on the bump spot at 5.963.

This will be be Taylor's only attempt. Larry Sutton does the back up honors. The Mustang shakes hard off the line and he can't get it calmed down enough.

Garten had a good pass going until near the 330 lights, where he had to lift.

Dennis Taylor's incremental times: 60ft-1.109 sec., 330ft-2.809, 660ft-4.121/188.62 mph, 1,000ft-5.244.

Left Lane: Dennis La Charite Runs 6.103/235.47, Now #26; Best prior run: 13.568/61.37, Was #33
Right Lane: Robert Overholser Runs 6.044/234.25, Now #22; Best prior run: 12.042/68.62, Was #32

A good pair of side by side passes, but neither car can pick up enough to bump into the field.

Dennis La Charite's incremental times: 60ft-1.046 sec., 330ft-2.725, 660ft-4.027/188.96 mph, 1,000ft-5.149.
Robert Overholser's incremental times: 60ft-1.021 sec., 330ft-2.646, 660ft-3.946/186.59 mph, 1,000ft-5.084.

Left Lane: Alex Miladinovich Runs 6.212/232.07, Now #30; Best prior run: 7.238/184.95, Was #33
Right Lane: Steven Densham Runs 5.840/242.63, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.834/244.25, Was #7

A cool pair: Hot for Teacher and Teacher's Pet.

Late and later off the line. Miladinovich picks up almost a second, but isn't any there near the bump spot.

Densham sat on the line a while and then ran close to yesterday's time.

Alex Miladinovich's incremental times: 60ft-1.079 sec., 330ft-2.784, 660ft-4.107/186.30 mph, 1,000ft-5.246.
Steven Densham's incremental times: 60ft-1.007 sec., 330ft-2.597, 660ft-3.848/202.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.921.

Left Lane: Brad Faria No Time, Now #32; Best prior run: 6.439/222.07, Was #32
Right Lane: Tim Boychuk Runs 9.791/87.36, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.013/239.31, Was #20

Faria's engine won't start, so Boychuk gets the single.

The Firebird has a strong leave and then starts to spin the tires after the sixty foot lights. He pumps it a couple of times before giving up.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.872/244.83, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.849/252.99, Was #8
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 5.858/246.80, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.058/233.80, Was #25

Two smoky burnouts.

If these times hold, this will be your first round pair! Worsham would have won easily, as Smith was way late at the green.

Huge improvement for Smith, bumping well into the strong field. Worsham's car was on a strong pass until the smoke started right before the lights.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-1.021 sec., 330ft-2.623, 660ft-3.887/195.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.962.
John Smith's incremental times: 60ft-1.024 sec., 330ft-2.626, 660ft-3.875/196.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.949.

Left Lane: Ronny Young Runs 5.850/249.53, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.940/236.80, Was #14
Right Lane: Bob Godfrey Runs 14.956/57.96, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.041/236.84, Was #22

James Day is on the bump spot at 5.954.

Godfrey is up in smoke right after the sixty foot lights and he has to lift.

Clean pass for Young to take over the number nine spot on the ladder.

Ronny Young's incremental times: 60ft-1.026 sec., 330ft-2.618, 660ft-3.877/196.50 mph, 1,000ft-4.949.

Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 5.789/239.02, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.825/236.84, Was #4
Right Lane: Will Martin No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.936/234.66, Was #13

Martin is already backing up from his burnout before Arend started his.

Both cars are spectacular, but for different reasons.

Martin's Mustang makes a strong leave and then smokes the tires right after the 60 foot lights. The car goes dead left and he has to really crank the wheel to get it back straight. He finally gets it straightened out in Arend's lane. His times are DQ'ed.

Arend makes a clean and straight pass into the new number two spot, but then has a wall of smoke from the car after that.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.548, 660ft-3.800/198.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.865.

Left Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 6.870/143.16, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.963/243.72, Was #17
Right Lane: Dean Oberg No Time, Now #34; No Prior Run

Oberg gets a burnout this time before the engine goes silent.

Rupert has a strong leave and looked to be on a great pass until the Camaro slowed at half track. He won't qualify, but is still the 2012 FC Champion!!

Jason Rupert's incremental times: 60ft-0.988 sec., 330ft-2.552, 660ft-3.905/163.28 mph, 1,000ft-5.384.

Left Lane: Rian Konno Runs 8.885/81.87, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.885/247.16, Was #12

Konno car is a little lazy off the line. He runs to near half track and then lifts to end the session.

1:47 p.m. Chad Head is number one at 5.760 and James Day is on the bump spot at 5.954.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink