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Sat, 23 Feb 2013, 16:29 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 3 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: John Force Runs 4.100/312.64, Now #5; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.169/268.65, Now #9; No Prior Run

1:49 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 28.73 inches, adjusted altitude 2,195 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Lots of carnage in the Top Fuel session, hopefully this will go easier.

Tony Pedregon didn't make an attempt in session two. Neither car has made a full pass this weekend.

Much better! Pedregon gets off the line first and makes a strong pass to after the 660 lights, where the car loses a cylinder and slows a little.

Zippy has the tune up right this time and Force runs straight and true to right near the lights. The car does a little zig-zag and just misses the top four on the ladder.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.333, 660ft-3.315/263.67 mph.
Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.322, 660ft-3.324/256.41 mph.

Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.388/274.50, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.358/278.75, Was #13
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.082/153.47, Now #15; No Prior Run

Haddock's car had better incrementals to just before the 660 lights and then kicks the tires and slows.

Burkhart's Impala still needs to get to the lights under power, but makes another four thirty pass to stay number 13.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.208/275.56, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.167/293.15, Was #8
Right Lane: Todd Lesenko Runs 5.311/144.06, Now #16; No Prior Run

Capps car makes a strong start and then the car gets a little tail happy down track and slows. He will stay #8 for now.

Lesenko makes a strong leave and then smokes the tires hard after the 330 lights.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.345, 660ft-3.338/251.53 mph.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.179/299.66, Now #10; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.067/308.00, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.078/306.40, Was #4

Todd Lesenko is on the bump spot at 5.311.

Pedregon is away first by a bunch and pulls hard to the finish line. Its a little quicker, but he stays #4 for now.

Wilkerson makes a strong pass to right after the 660 lights and then has the Mustang drift out of the groove. The tires keep pulling and he is in the field in the #10 spot.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.362, 660ft-3.364/255.97 mph.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.295, 660ft-3.275/262.79 mph.

Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.917/163.55, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 5.039/271.79, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.321/219.58, Was #12

Terry Haddock is on the bump spot at 5.082.

Hight was in the field already and leaves hard. The tires get loose after the 330 light and he slaps the pedal to get it to recover. The Mustang finishes the pass, but doesn't improve.

Diehl Camry was running well right up to the first 330 light until the engine gives up. Its still good enough to get him in the field for now.

Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.373/227.84, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.855/165.72, Was #15
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.126/302.96, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.140/303.30, Was #6

Yellow and Black cars a pair to the line. DHL and USD!

Worsham makes another strong and clean pass to pick up a little ET and drop a little MPH.

Arend's car was strong down low and running well until about 500 feet out. There was a BiG Bang from the engine and the car slowed. He still makes his best pass of the weekend to stay #15. No oil on the track.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.370, 660ft-3.399/239.48 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.351, 660ft-3.328/263.51 mph.

Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.230/267.22, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.280/236.71, Was #11
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.494/194.49, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.157/303.09, Was #7

They leave close together and run together to near the 660 lights, where they both start to haze the tires. DeJoria lifts and Tasca pumps it and runs to the lights. A better ET and MPH, but he stays #11.

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.169/288.27, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.322/215.58, Was #13
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.081/305.36, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.064/315.71, Was #3

A great side by side pass until right near the lights, where Beckman's Charger slows. It still has the momentum to move up to near the top half of the field in the current #9 spot.

Force lays down another strong pass, close to her second pass yesterday and stays #3 for now.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.325, 660ft-3.329/250.64 mph.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.334, 660ft-3.299/268.38 mph.

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 12.082/71.41, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.062/311.20, Was #2
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.045/314.46, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.034/313.80, Was #1

Ouch! Hagan's car gets into his own oil right at the green and the Charger gets almost sideways and drives hard toward the wall. He snaps the wheel over hard and rotates the car abruptly away and towards the center line. He slows the car down and straightens it out. This is his first of the season, no no penality.

This is the third great pass this weekend for Gray, running close to his prior best ET and a season best speed.

Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.309, 660ft-3.268/268.38 mph.

2:18 p.m. LOTS of oil in Hagan's lane all the way to the finish line. This will take a while. Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 4.917.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink