Sat, 21 Sep 2013, 18:33 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in 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: Terry Haddock Runs 6.816/99.08, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.701/126.29, Was #17

5:01 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 32 percent, barometer 29.29 inches, adjusted altitude 3,129 feet, track temperature 116 degrees.

Haddock does his burnout and can't get the car to backup. His crew pushes him back to the starting line and he stages. He gets about sixty feet out and breaks the tires loose. The car makes a hard move to the right, heads for the centerline and he has to abort the run about 300 feet out.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.187/301.27, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.627/215.44, Was #14
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.166/303.50, Now #5; No Prior Run

DeJoria left before the tree was activated in the first round and did not get a time. rend had traction problems but was able to get in the field.

DeJoria goes right down the groove on this run and gets deep into the field in the fifth spot. Arend was right with DeJoria all the way through the run and moves up to the sixth spot.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.154/302.41, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.593/220.08, Was #15
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.178/288.39, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.820/92.79, Was #19

Wilkerson goes right down the groove and moves all the way to the fifth spot. Pedregon gets about 700 feet and a flash of green comes from the right side of the engine. The engine holds together long enough to get to the finish line and he gets in the field in the seventh spot for now.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.154/304.39, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.542/231.87, Was #16
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.262/291.95, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.183/195.85, Was #18

Worsham started mixing up cylinders about 800 feet out but hung on long enough to get into the show in the 13th spot for now. Gray went right down the groove with a clean pass to move into the top half of the field in the fifth spot for now.

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Left Lane: John Hale Runs 4.769/198.03, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.430/277.94, Was #16
Right Lane: Todd Simpson No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.706/192.06, Was #18

Simpson has problems and isn't able to make a pass and is done for the weekend. Hale gets about 500 feet out, has traction problems and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.161/304.12, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.423/217.88, Was #15
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.122/306.12, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.471/196.10, Was #17

Beckman had traction problems late in the run on his first attempt and is not qualified. He goes right down the groove on this one and moves all the way to the fourth spot. Head improves and gets in the top half of the field for now.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.137/301.87, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.335/230.65, Was #16
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 7.189/84.99, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.210/294.56, Was #14

Alexander gets about 100 feet out, strikes the tires and clicks it off. Tasca went right down the groove and moves off the bump and into the sixth spot.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.093/312.78, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.203/300.06, Was #14
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.156/300.00, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.115/309.13, Was #3

Hagan makes an impressive pass, sets the track speed record, and moves up to the second. Force was quicker to the 330 foot mark than Hagan but put out a cylinder on the left side soon after that and slowed.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.174/297.94, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.202/263.67, Was #14
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.102/305.22, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.096/306.88, Was #3

Capps makes another good run but doesn't improve. Force's car was moving around a little late in the run but he was able to move up a couple of spots in the order.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.052/311.85, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.135/301.13, Was #6
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.628/181.79, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.092/304.32, Was #1

Hight makes an impressive pass, setting the ET track record, and he takes the pole to end this session. Pedregon gets about 600 feet out, strikes the tires and backs off the throttle.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink