Sat, 28 Sep 2013, 17:27 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Second annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest 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: Daniel Wilkerson Runs 4.398/274.00, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.496/217.14, Was #16

3:51 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 49 percent, barometer 29.51 inches, adjusted altitude 2,913 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Wilkerson makes his quickest pass of the weekend but stays on the bump.

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Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.092/230.33, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.869/135.35, Was #17

Arend was in the left lane but decided not to make a pass. Creasy is the lone car not in the show and will need to run quicker than 4.398 to get in and race tomorrow.

Creasy gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. He pedals a couple of times, gains traction, but lost too much time and does not get in the show.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.098/311.77, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.117/310.41, Was #13
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.058/310.05, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.145/304.94, Was #14

Capps goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up to the fifth spot for now. Gray improves and goes to the 11th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.295/231.12, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.115/275.17, Was #14

Head was on a decent pass for the first 600 feet or so, then puts out a cylinder on the right side. The car starts moving to the right, gets out of the groove and he backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.068/311.13, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.104/306.05, Was #12
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.625/184.14, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.077/307.37, Was #8

Wilkerson goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to move up to the seventh spot. Pedregon gets about 600 feet out and the car noses over, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.070/313.66, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.096/309.84, Was #11
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.792/169.55, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.076/308.00, Was #8

DeJoria gets about 500 feet out and strikes the tires. Beckman makes his quickest pass of the weekend and goes around DeJoria to take the eighth spot and set up a possible first round match-up between the two.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 6.906/90.65, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.094/306.40, Was #11
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.037/319.82, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.062/312.86, Was #6

Tasca gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Force makes an impressive pass, running a career best speed, and she moves up to the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 5.219/142.99, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.022/315.64, Was #2
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.480/131.20, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.041/314.46, Was #5

0-for-2 on this run. Hight and Worsham both go up in smoke about 300 feet out and back off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.092/315.64, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.001/320.20, Was #1
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.047/312.21, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.023/311.92, Was #3

Hagan and Force end the session with a good side-by-side. Force goes right down the groove with the second quickest pass of the session and picks up a couple of bonus points. Hagan makes a clean pass but doesn't improve. Hagan qualifies number one for the fifth time this season and the 15th time in his career.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink