Fri, 21 Feb 2014, 16:55 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1 |
By David Gerard |
CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:
Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 8.431/75.28, Now #2
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 7.209/94.16, Now #1
2:13 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 28.75 inches, adjusted altitude 2,774 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.
The Pro Stock cars tested here earlier before Pomona, but this will be the
first fuel passes on the "new" track.
Dual shake and smoke. Haddock first, quickly followed by Diehl.
Left Lane: Paul Lee No Time, Now #4
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.143/305.22, Now #1
Lee's Charger won't come out of reverse , after backing up from the burnout, and the crew works frantically before being told to shut it off. It took a long time before the engine finally quit.
Wilkerson gets a great pass from start to finish and sets a mark for the field. Nice 0.879 sixty foot time on this altitude track.
Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.879 sec., 330ft-2.329, 660ft-3.338/255.92 mph.
Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 5.142/142.21, Now #3
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.217/283.13, Now #2
Both cars leave hard and run together to after the 330 lights. Head's Camry gets loose at that point and gets wacky.
Arend pulls hard to the finish line and then had a bunch of smoke in the lights.
Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.354, 660ft-3.371/250.13 mph.
2:21 p.m. Looks like a little work on the top end.
Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.096/304.94, Now #1
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.107/307.16, Now #2
2:33 p.m. Looks like Head's car suffered some rear end damage in the hard shake and abrupt sideways move. One of the slicks is at an odd angle and they are having a difficult time getting the car off the track at the top end.
Back to qualifying. Beckman got a workout at yesterday's Media event. He was on the driver's panel first and then spent the rest of the afternoon driving the press down the track in the Frank Hawley Driving School side by side dragster.
A great side by side run right on down the track. Force gets the new top spot and Beckman gets fast speed. Nice!
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.308, 660ft-3.302/260.91 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.324, 660ft-3.311/261.62 mph.
Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.003/152.45, Now #6
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.109/303.16, Now #3
They leave almost together and Pedregon stated to pull steadily ahead until right after the 330 lights. The slicks shake loose and he is done.
DeJoria has a strong tune up and powers on down the track into the current #3 spot.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.878 sec., 330ft-2.294, 660ft-3.554/168.56 mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.883 sec., 330ft-2.323, 660ft-3.313/262.64 mph.
Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.227/168.41, Now #8
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 7.351/81.18, Now #10
Densham's car is all in black. The Charger is lazy off the line and finally goes silent after the 660 lights.
TJ 's Make-A-Wish racer is strong off the line and then spins the tires before the 330 lights and slows.
Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.188/251.95, Now #5
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 7.379/87.14, Now #12
Two strong leaves and then both cars struggle.
Capps has the better numbers down low and then starts to spin way down track. The engine drops cylinders and he is done.
Hight only ran about 100 feet before hard tire smoke ended the run.
Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 7.422/78.68, Now #14
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 6.402/104.52, Now #10
Robert Hight is on the bump spot at 7.379.
Two hard leaves and two quick up in smoke Funny Cars.
Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.091/309.63, Now #1
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.670/186.79, Now #8
Tommy Johnson Jr. is on the bump spot at 7.351. Here a rematch of the recent Winternationals finals.
Hagen gets away first and powers on down the track for both the quickest and faster pass of the session.
Force's Mustang was stronger until just after the 330 lights and then goes up in smoke hard after that.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.304/263.62 mph.
2:52 p.m. Del Worsham is on the bump spot at 6.402.
Copyright ©2026 AUTOSALES INC, dba Summit Racing Equipment
Ready to take your order at 1-800-230-3030 | Customer Service 1-800-517-1035
Ready to take your order at 1-800-230-3030 | Customer Service 1-800-517-1035