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Fri, 21 Feb 2014, 19:31 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 2 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 6.251/105.50, Now #12; No Prior Run

4:54 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 15 percent, barometer 28.68 inches, adjusted altitude 3,080 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Matt Hagan is number one at 4.091 and Del Worsham is on the bump spot at 6.402.

Pedregon didn't make a pass in session one, as they had a fuel system problem. The car is a little lazy off the line and drives steadily towards the wall. He has to lift.

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.030/314.24, Now #1; Best prior run: 7.379/87.14, Was #16
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.206/252.66, Now #8; No Prior Run

Tony Pedregon is on the bump spot at 6.251.

Lee gets the car to go forward this time and makes a clean and straight pass into the top eight. The pipes go wet right before the lights.

Hight has the tune up this time and flies on down the track into the new top spot with the fastest speed so far too. Picture perfect!

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.306, 660ft-3.259/271.62 mph.
Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.879 sec., 330ft-2.322, 660ft-3.328/255.63 mph.

Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.095/308.64, Now #3; Best prior run: 7.351/81.18, Was #17

Chad Head is on the bump spot at 5.142.

Johnson gets a single this time and makes the most of it with a strong pass right on down the track into the current #3 spot. Good looking pass.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.310, 660ft-3.299/259.56 mph.

Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 7.197/90.06, Now #18; Best prior run: 7.209/94.16, Was #17
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.078/306.60, Now #2; Best prior run: 7.422/78.68, Was #18

Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 5.003.

Tasca keeps the tires stuck to the track this time and takes his Mustang up to the new number two spot with style.

Diehl makes a cop-cat pass from session one and gets moved down a spot.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.073/312.42, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.402/104.52, Was #17

John Force is on the bump spot at 4.670.

Great leave and a clean pass for Worsham on his single to split the two Mustangs at the top of the field.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.326, 660ft-3.292/268.33 mph.

Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.990/317.79, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.670/186.79, Was #13
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.089/306.05, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.142/142.21, Was #15

We had a brief delay, as one of the prior pair way stuck on the track on the top end. Jeff Arend is on the bump spot at 4.217.

BANG! The Prock Rocket strike again! Force leaves with a strong 0.867 sixty foot time and thunders to the finish line with a new track speed and ET record. That gives him number one for now too.

Head looked slow beside him, but powers into the new number five spot.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.261, 660ft-3.220/270.70 mph.
Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.302/264.75 mph.

Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.166/295.79, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.217/283.13, Was #14
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.501/199.37, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.003/152.45, Was #15

Ron Capps is on the bump spot at 4.188.

Arend finds some power and moves into the field on the bump spot. Lots of green flames in the lights.

Pedregon was away first and carding much better numbers until right after the 330 lights, where the pipes went wet.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.351, 660ft-3.343/257.68 mph.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.066/308.35, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.143/305.22, Was #11
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.089/306.33, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.188/251.95, Was #13

Jeff Arend is on the bump spot at 4.166.

Capps was just bumped out and he takes care of that running well and into the top half of the field.

Wilkerson finds some strong power and puts his Mustang right up near the top of the ladder, joining the others.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.299, 660ft-3.275/264.70 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.298/265.22 mph.

Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.048/309.27, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.109/303.16, Was #12
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 8.837/66.44, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.096/304.94, Was #10

Alexis DeJoria is on the bump spot at 4.109 and has shown the power lately to make a big move up the ladder.

Two ladies stage their Funny Cars. Force gets a big jump off the line at the green and is quicker to the sixty foot lights. The slicks are spinning after that and she gets moves down a spot.

We get another #3 qualifier, as DeJoria Charger is power happy and runs to right before the lights , before there is a big flash form the engine. No oil though.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.880 sec., 330ft-2.298, 660ft-3.264/267.43 mph.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.819, 660ft-5.538/076.14 mph.

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.055/314.09, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.107/307.16, Was #12
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 6.776/93.64, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.091/309.63, Was #9

Jack Beckman is on the bump spot at 4.107 and is the next to power way up the field with a great pass. Good enough for number four.

Hagan was strong off the line and then has the slicks start to spin.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.307, 660ft-3.274/267.37 mph.

5:26 p.m. John Force is number one at 3.990 and Courtney Force is on the bump spot at 4.096.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink