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Fri, 22 Feb 2013, 19:31 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual NHRA Arizona 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:

Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 7.826/90.42, Now #17; Best prior run: 10.480/90.82, Was #17
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.855/165.72, Now #10; Best prior run: 15.886/78.64, Was #18

4:40 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 65 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 28.82 inches, adjusted altitude 1,990 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 5.953. It's starting to cool off, as the sun is starting to get low in the West. Eighteen cars running for the coveted top twelve spots.

Neither car got much past the 60 foot lights under power in session one.

Well, they get a little further, but not enough.

Only 0.001 separates them in sixty foot times, but Haddock's tires are up in smoke after that. Arend car starts to drive out of the groove towards the center line and starts to spin the tires near the 660 lights.

Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.064/315.71, Now #1; Best prior run: 8.031/67.64, Was #18
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.452/136.59, Now #13; Best prior run: 7.023/89.33, Was #15

Tony Pedregon is on the bump spot at 5.499.

Force picks up where she left off last week with a picture perfect pass right to the top of the ladder with top time and a new track speed record.

Wilkerson left right with her and ran close until near the 330 lights. The slicks started to spin and a quick slap of the pedal couldn't catch them back up.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.314, 660ft-3.287/266.85 mph.

Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.157/303.09, Now #6; Best prior run: 7.489/85.81, Was #17
Right Lane: John Force No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.120/109.40, Was #16

Todd Lesenko is on the bump spot at 5.092.

DeJoria chases Force off the line and finally get by right before the finish line. She has her hands busy keeping the car from drifting too far near the wall down track. That will move her into the current top half of the field.

Force was on a strong pass with better incrementals right from the start to near the 660 lights. The car starts to get loose at that point and he drives the Mustang right into the finish line reflectors. His 4.208 would have make him number eight on the ladder, but his times are DQ'ed.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.367, 660ft-3.354/261.07 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.313, 660ft-3.307/245.99 mph.

Left Lane: Tony Pedregon No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.499/129.08, Was #15
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.947/161.69, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.953/122.64, Was #16

4:57 p.m. ...and we are back to qualifying. Jeff Arend is on the bump spot at 4.855.

Pedregon doesn't make the call. Diehl takes a couple of tries to get the car straight before going into stage.

The Camry leaves well and is running hard to near the 660 lights, when the shake and spin terminates the pass.

Jeff Diehl's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.387, 660ft-3.583/182.43 mph.

Left Lane: Todd Lesenko Runs 5.269/146.48, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.092/155.45, Was #14
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.322/215.58, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.445/198.15, Was #11

Lesenko is the last car to try to bump in for this session. No joy, as the Charger shakes and spins right off the line.

Beckman has great numbers down low, but is too strong for the track and he smokes the tires right after the 660 lights.

Todd Lesenko's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.439, 660ft-3.765/166.23 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.312, 660ft-3.313/244.83 mph.

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.359/212.33, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.321/219.58, Was #9
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 8.705/79.86, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.358/278.75, Was #11

Hight powers the Mustang right off the line and runs straight and clean to right before the 330 lights, where the tire spin and the blower bangs hard.

Burkart's tune up is too strong for the track and the tires are up in smoke early.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.313, 660ft-3.325/234.49 mph.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.202/294.88, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.140/303.30, Was #4
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.367/219.15, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.280/236.71, Was #8

Worsham and Tasca run together for a long time and then Tasca's tires start to spin first. Worsham gets closer to the finish line before his slicks are spinning too. Neither car will improve.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.363, 660ft-3.375/254.09 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.360, 660ft-3.367/239.19 mph.

Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.034/313.80, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.124/301.00, Was #3
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 8.077/84.24, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.167/293.15, Was #7

Gray marches the Pitch Energy Charger right off the line and right on down the track into the new top spot with ease. Good MPH too.

Capps NAPA Auto Parts Charger gets out to about 100 feet before spinning the tires.

Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.294, 660ft-3.256/268.22 mph.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.407/214.52, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.078/306.40, Was #3
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.062/311.20, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.142/293.98, Was #5

The DSR tune up is working well, as Hagan makes a clean and strong pass three spots up the ladder into the final number two spot.

Pedregon was right behind him and running well until near the 660 lights, where the engine starts to drop cylinders and he slows. Capps pass pushes him back to #4.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.347, 660ft-3.379/242.50 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.302, 660ft-3.278/265.22 mph.

5:19 p.m. Johnny Gray is number one at 4.034 and Jeff Arend is on the bump spot at 4.855.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink