Sat, 21 Sep 2013, 16:41 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 28th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall 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: Tony Bartone Runs 11.503/112.49, Now #17; Best prior run: 7.098/121.62, Was #17

Bartone with severe tire shake right at the hit and clicks it off...he will not get into the show. This is only the sixth time in Bartone's Alcohol career he hasn't qualified and only the third time in TAFC. The last time he didn't qualify was at Chicago in 2010.

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Left Lane: Lance Van Hauen Runs 5.741/246.17, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.812/136.80, Was #16
Right Lane: Brian Hough Runs 6.500/252.33, Now #17; Best prior run: 10.723/107.84, Was #19

VanHauen launched hard and was straight down the groove with a nice looking pass to get off the bump and move up the ladder to the number 12 spot. Lance Van Hauen's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.527, 660ft-3.761/199.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.829. Hough shakes and is up in smoke right at the hit and he pedals it, but he will not get in the show.

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Left Lane: Ro Yale Runs 6.006/239.74, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.095/202.76, Was #16
Right Lane: Mark Billington No Time, Now #19; Best prior run: 7.417/208.07, Was #19

Yale with a good looking pass as he was straight down the groove with his career quickest and fastest pass to move off the bump. Ro Yale's incremental times: 60ft-1.002 sec., 330ft-2.643, 660ft-3.950/189.60 mph, 1,000ft-5.066. Billington started to shake and was out of the groove toward the centerline and then was back across the lane and slapped the the wall. He will not qualify.

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Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.629/256.80, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.087/151.61, Was #16

Gordon launched hard and was straight down the groove to move into the top half of the show. Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.506, 660ft-3.717/204.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.753.

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Left Lane: Mark Woznichak Runs 5.669/257.73, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.689/257.87, Was #10
Right Lane: Billy Davis Runs 8.421/105.18, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.847/215.41, Was #15

Woznichak with another good looking pass, but he will will not improve. Mark Woznichak's incremental times: 60ft-0.987 sec., 330ft-2.547, 660ft-3.760/204.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.796. Davis shook early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Dan Pomponio No Time, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.662/255.97, Was #9
Right Lane: Steve Burck Runs 5.853/248.48, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.770/249.12, Was #14

Pomponio got real loose and crossed the centerline and got real close to Burck, but he was able to reel it back into his lane without hitting any cones. Burck was straight not the groove, but will not improve.

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Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 6.130/163.31, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.695/257.92, Was #11

Gasparrelli was on a good pass until around 800 feet when it banged the blower.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.559/260.31, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.620/258.71, Was #6
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 9.390/91.51, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.588/261.42, Was #5

Payne with a great looking pass, the quickest pass of the session and he moves up to the number three spot. Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.473, 660ft-3.667/205.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.694. Lombardo Jr. with a lot of tire shake right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.842/205.38, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.583/258.91, Was #5
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.521/259.56, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.560/259.66, Was #4

Foster slows on the top end and he will not improve. Whiteley with a great looking pass, the quickest of the round and moves to the number two spot. Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.448, 660ft-3.635/207.75 mph, 1,000ft-4.655.

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Left Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 8.913/98.97, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.502/264.86, Was #1
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.581/259.91, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.545/259.96, Was #3

Manzo with a lot of tire shake right at the hit and clicked it off. Westerfield with another great pass, but will stay in the number three spot. Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.492, 660ft-3.690/206.54 mph, 1,000ft-4.713. Manzo holds on to the No. 1 spot and this is his 99th No.1 qualifying position.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink