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Fri, 09 Nov 2012, 15:52 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 48th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

Right Lane: Johann Wernhart Runs 5.803/209.92, Now #1

12:13 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 43 percent, barometer 28.78 inches, adjusted altitude 2,221 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Wernhart makes a clean pass to start the session.

Johann Wernhart's incremental times: 60ft-0.977 sec., 330ft-2.521, 660ft-3.747/202.33 mph, 1,000ft-4.799.

Left Lane: Bernie Harrington Runs 5.793/229.31, Now #1
Right Lane: Mike Drake No Time, Now #3

Drake's car won't start and is pushed away.

Harrington's car snakes it's way down the track and slows some on the top end.

Bernie Harrington's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.524, 660ft-3.780/196.19 mph, 1,000ft-4.858.

Left Lane: Jirka Kaplan Runs 5.608/256.94, Now #1
Right Lane: Ross Stickler Runs 6.110/233.52, Now #4

Kaplan moves his career best ET and MPH up a bunch and into the top spot.

Stickler was on a good pass and then has the engine erupt in smoke around the 1000 foot mark.

12:21 p.m. They are checking the track in the right lane and there is only oil under the car, where it stopped on the track.

Jirka Kaplan's incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.482, 660ft-3.694/204.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.730.
Ross Stickler's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.657, 660ft-4.007/184.40 mph, 1,000ft-5.148.

Left Lane: Mark Woznichak Runs 7.305/165.15, Now #6
Right Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 5.661/256.06, Now #2

12:23 p.m. Back to racing.

Lots of shake and smoke for The Woz and he clicks it off.

Strong pass for Rupert into the new #2 spot on the ladder.

Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.868/254.28, Now #5
Right Lane: Keeter Ray Runs 8.139/110.14, Now #8

Ray is running Randy Goodwin's Winternationals's winning Monte Carlo this weekend. They ran last weekend at Las Vegas too.

Both cars get loose off the line. Bellemeur pumps the pedal and recovers to finish the run.

Ray's car joins him, but has a lot of tail wagging and has to lift.

Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-1.002 sec., 330ft-2.678, 660ft-3.927/200.11 mph, 1,000ft-4.982.

Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.584/259.66, Now #1
Right Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 5.610/253.56, Now #3

Whoa! Gordon has had an on and off season, but today is definitely ON! He is first at the green and first at the finish line to take a new season best ET and MPH, as well as the new top spot.

Thompson makes a strong pass too and gets the current #3 spot.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.488, 660ft-3.693/205.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.717.
Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.492, 660ft-3.698/204.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.734.

Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.605/258.22, Now #2
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.675/256.75, Now #6

Westerfield has a season and almost career best pass right into the new #2 spot on a clean pass.

Gasparrelli uses a lot of track getting to the finish line and still gets into the top half of the field.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.981 sec., 330ft-2.519, 660ft-3.714/207.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.736.
Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.523, 660ft-3.755/201.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.797.

Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.514/261.42, Now #1
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.983/234.53, Now #11

Lombardo makes a strong and straight pass into the new top spot with the best speed so far too.

Hool's car was happy off the line and basket balls down the track before setting down.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.450, 660ft-3.640/207.37 mph, 1,000ft-4.654.
Kris Hool's incremental times: 60ft-1.073 sec., 330ft-2.650, 660ft-3.918/191.57 mph, 1,000ft-5.033.

Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.626/259.06, Now #6
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 7.099/183.52, Now #14

Whitely was the winner at Vegas last week, but the car falls to heavy tire shake off the line.

Payne shakes a little, pumps, and runs on down the track and into the top half of the field.

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.524, 660ft-3.735/206.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.761.

Left Lane: Mickey Ferro Runs 5.676/255.00, Now #10
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 5.655/261.07, Now #7

Last pair of the session. Keeter Ray is on the bump spot at 8.139.

Both cars leave hard, shake a little, pump and drive on down. Ferro's Monte Carlo uses a lot of track getting to the finish line.

Bartone recovers well and runs into the top half of the field.

Mickey Ferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.515, 660ft-3.748/202.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.792.
Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.550, 660ft-3.769/206.20 mph, 1,000ft-4.793.

12:46 p.m. John Lombardo is number one at 5.514 and Annie Whiteley is on the bump spot at 7.099.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink