Sat, 27 Jul 2013, 17:34 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3 |
By David Gerard |
SONOMA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Sonoma 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:
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.107/307.23, Now #11; No Prior Run
1:46 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 1,552 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.
Arend finally gets the full pull he was looking for and moves into the field
in the #13 spot.
Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.312/261.62 mph.
Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.448/274.61, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 5.087/174.17, Now #15; No Prior Run
Gray is unexpectedly outside the field after two passes yesterday. Keeping the tires hooked has been a problem. He gets off the line and near the 330 lights before the tires start to smoke. He lost a cylinder right off the line to boot.
Diehl lost his best pass yesterday, when he took out the 660 foot reflectors. He is in the field for now, but doesn't match his best run yesterday.
Jeff Diehl's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.497, 660ft-3.564/239.27 mph.
Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.432, 660ft-3.818/174.77 mph.
Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.241/287.29, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.226/299.93, Now #14; No Prior Run
They run side by side down the track and both cars get into the field or now. They both run a lot better than they did yesterday.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.369, 660ft-3.400/249.44 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.384, 660ft-3.411/253.23 mph.
Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.089/309.13, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.080/307.23, Was #9
Right Lane: Josh Crawford Runs 6.526/106.22, Now #18; No Prior Run
Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 4.448.
Tasca is already in the field, but in the bottom half. He basically repeats his first pass from yesterday, with a little less ET and a little more speed.
Crawford needs a big improvement to move up the ladder and he will have to wait for the forth session to get it. There is a cylinder out on the right bank and tries to stay after it. There are wacky flames from the headers going on down and he finally lifts.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.319, 660ft-3.300/264.03 mph.
2:00 p.m. Lots of eyes on the track in the right lane and the call goes out for the scrubbers and sweepers.
Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.461/213.81, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.145/298.27, Was #12
Right Lane: Jon Capps Runs 4.251/283.49, Now #16; No Prior Run
2:12 p.m. Back to qualifying. Pedregon is in the field already, but Capps isn't.
Capps gets the best of it with a near full pass that puts him on the bump spot for now.
Pedregon was strong off the line, but started to struggle near the 330 lights. He slows and will stay #12.
Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.379, 660ft-3.430/239.53 mph.
Jon Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.374, 660ft-3.399/248.61 mph.
Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.309/135.65, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.102/302.89, Was #10
Right Lane: Todd Lesenko Runs 6.981/88.78, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.165/304.87, Was #13
No joy for these two.
Pedregon is away first and looks to be on a good pass, but strikes the tires before the 660 lights.
Lesenko was a little soft off the line and went up in smoke before the 330 lights.
Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.444/132.73, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.055/304.32, Was #6
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.241/234.45, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.058/311.41, Was #8
Two more unhappy campers. Hight is away first and runs well until after the 660 foot light and then has the tires come loose.
Densham's Charger was a little weak off the line and then has his slicks start to smoke about half track.
Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.747/173.14, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.026/314.09, Was #5
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 5.178/143.76, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.057/314.46, Was #7
Mustangs a pair to the line.
Two more go down. Two more kick the tires. They run together and lift together before the 660 foot lights.
Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.996/150.03, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.012/312.50, Was #3
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.078/313.00, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.025/316.60, Was #4
While he does move up the ladder, Force runs the quickest pass of the session with a straight and true run through the lights.
Capps had better numbers to past the 330 lights, but strikes the tires after tat and slows.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.269, 660ft-3.529/171.25 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.322, 660ft-3.294/266.16 mph.
Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 5.277/138.48, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.994/319.67, Was #2
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 5.040/149.85, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.986/320.51, Was #1
Hagen set a pair of track records last night with his ET and speed to capture the number one qualifier position.
Both cars have strong leaves and run together for a while. They have near identical 330 time and then shut off together right after that.
2:31 p.m. Jon Capps is on the bump spot at 4.251.
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