Sat, 06 Jul 2013, 11:54 AM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual Summit Racing Equipment 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: Paul Noakes Runs 5.662/257.68, Now #3; Best prior run: 8.478/107.44, Was #17
Right Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.678/256.02, Now #5; Best prior run: 10.361/88.73, Was #18

11:29 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 71 percent, barometer 29.18 inches, adjusted altitude 3,009 feet, track temperature 82 degrees.

either of these drivers had a decent pass in the first round yesterday and are not in the field. This will be their last chance.

A good side-by-side, both go right down the middle of the track. Noakes gets in the field in the third spot, Foster in fifth, for now.

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Left Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 5.594/259.91, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.805/257.33, Was #13
Right Lane: Todd Robertson No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.180/249.76, Was #18

Robertson hits the throttle, starts shaking the tires very hard and has to back off the throttle about 200 feet out. Manzo goes right down the groove with an impressive pass to get in the field in the second spot for now.

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Left Lane: John Bojec Runs 6.097/229.70, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.783/247.57, Was #13
Right Lane: John Anderika Runs 5.711/246.98, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.919/249.86, Was #17

Bojec shook the tires pretty hard off the line, had to pedal about 200 feet out and could not improve on his pass from yesterday. Anderika shook the tires yesterday but went right down the groove on this pass to get in the field in the tenth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Fred Tigges Runs 5.692/255.29, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.754/255.43, Was #13
Right Lane: Tony Bogolo Runs 5.858/249.86, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.848/251.02, Was #17

Bogolo drifted to the left pretty quickly, somehow kept it off the centerline, but was not able to improve and will not be in the field. Tigges makes a clean, straight pass and moves up to the eighth spot.

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Left Lane: Todd Veney Runs 5.719/252.99, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.751/252.76, Was #13
Right Lane: Lance Van Hauen Runs 10.262/129.79, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.811/246.62, Was #16

Van Hauen has problems getting the engine cranked and is held to a very short burnout. He comes off the line, gets about 100 feet out and starts rattling the tires. He gets off the throttle pretty quickly and cruises through the lights. Veney improves but not enough to move up in the order.

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Left Lane: Cassie Simonton Runs 5.677/254.86, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.715/254.04, Was #12
Right Lane: Marie Ferriolo Runs 5.804/246.66, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.807/246.89, Was #15

Simonton goes right down the groove and improves to the sixth spot. Ferriolo makes another decent pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Brian Harvanek Runs 5.715/251.25, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.696/252.66, Was #10
Right Lane: Ray Drew Runs 5.829/251.16, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.709/254.76, Was #11

A couple of clean passes but neither driver improves.

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Left Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.691/257.83, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.621/258.17, Was #3
Right Lane: Dan Pomponio Runs 5.676/256.26, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.683/256.41, Was #8

A good side-by-side, Pomponio improves slightly and moves up to the sixth spot, Hool slows but stays in the third spot.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 10.023/102.88, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.594/262.33, Was #1
Right Lane: Andy Bohl Runs 5.685/256.02, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.676/256.55, Was #5

Bartone shakes the tires right off the line, stays with it for about 200 feet, then backs off the throttle. Bohl went right down the groove but doesn't improve.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink