Sat, 13 Sep 2014, 11:27 AM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Mark Rogers Runs 5.880/242.89, Now #2
Right Lane: Tyler Scott Runs 5.858/242.58, Now #1

10:54 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 81 percent, barometer 29.38 inches, adjusted altitude 2,756 feet, track temperature 85 degrees.

We are on about Plan D or E as far as the Top Alcohol cars are concrened. Right now the schedule calls for these cars to make a quick turnaround and come back before the first Pro session today to make their final qualifying shot.

Rogers had to backpedal early in the run to get through shake, Scvott did the same closer to halkf track.

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Left Lane: Bill Naves Runs 6.926/154.32, Now #0
Right Lane: Melinda Green-King No Time, Now #4

Green-King's car lurched off the line and the engine died. The car stopped about 100 feet out. Naves had problems before half track and slowed.

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Left Lane: DJ Cox Jr. Runs 5.716/251.72, Now #1
Right Lane: Marie Ferriolo Runs 5.950/196.93, Now #4

Cox made a full pass, may have pedaled briefly early in the run. Ferriolo was right with Cox to half track, then slowed.

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Left Lane: Tony Bogolo Runs 5.953/243.63, Now #6
Right Lane: Matt Gill Runs 5.655/256.36, Now #1

Gill showed what it's supposed look like with a nice, straight run. Bogolo lost a lot of time in the first half of his run.

Matt Gill's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.534, 660ft-3.745/204.85 mph, 1,000ft-4.779.

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Left Lane: Mickey Ferro Runs 5.671/253.85, Now #2
Right Lane: Todd Veney Runs 5.674/253.33, Now #3

Two good-looking runs and the top of the field is getting crowded.

Mickey Ferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.537, 660ft-3.750/204.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.788.
Todd Veney's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.514, 660ft-3.743/201.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.787.

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Left Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 6.439/175.32, Now #10
Right Lane: Dan Pomponio Runs 5.610/254.23, Now #1

Thompson was all over the left lane, lifted past half track. Pretty run by Pomponio and the top of the field is bunched up even more.

Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.680, 660ft-4.033/187.21 mph, 1,000ft-5.236.
Dan Pomponio's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.482, 660ft-3.697/203.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.732.

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Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 9.942/87.67, Now #13
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.587/259.81, Now #1

Whiteley shook hard and lifted. Lombardo marched right down the groove with the first "fifty" of the event and he's now #1.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.505, 660ft-3.700/208.26 mph, 1,000ft-4.722.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.855/255.58, Now #8
Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.593/260.51, Now #2

These two will establish a bump spot. Westerfield launched into tire shake and had to backpedal to get through it, losing a couple tenths. Harker made a nice, clean run and came up with the second "fifty" of the round, but Lombardo is still #1, by six thousandths.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.996 sec., 330ft-2.690, 660ft-3.932/201.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.976.
Steve Harker's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.515, 660ft-3.712/207.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.732.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.562/262.90, Now #1
Right Lane: Dale Brand Runs 5.672/259.01, Now #7

Nice way to finish the session, Payne was quicker at every timing increment and went to the #1 spot. Brand lost a lot of ground in the first half of the run.

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.689/207.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.706.
Dale Brand's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.558, 660ft-3.774/204.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.804.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink