Sat, 13 Sep 2014, 13:01 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Larry Sullivan

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

---

Left Lane: Melinda Green-King Runs 5.889/247.29, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.637/257.24, Now #5; Best prior run: 9.942/87.67, Was #17

12:28 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 80 percent, barometer 29.39 inches, adjusted altitude 2,671 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Bill Naves is on the bump spot at 6.926.

Theswe two ended up on the bottom of the qualifying list and outside the field after the first session. Both made full passes, Whiteley rocketing into the top half of the field. That bumped Naves and Clint Thompson from the field.

Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.518, 660ft-3.728/205.01 mph, 1,000ft-4.763.

Now Tony Bogolo is on the bump spot at 5.953.

---

Left Lane: Marie Ferriolo Runs 6.694/154.88, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.950/196.93, Was #15
Right Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 9.593/94.36, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.439/175.32, Was #17

Thompson shook, skated around and had to lift to keep from crossing the centerline.Ferriolo was on a good pass, but slowed around half track.

---

Left Lane: Tyler Scott Runs 5.868/249.67, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.858/242.58, Was #12
Right Lane: Tony Bogolo Runs 5.708/251.77, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.953/243.63, Was #16

Bogolo's car made a move toward the wall on the launch and he did a nice job of avoiding the wall without losing momentum. He moved up, well off the bump spot. Scott lost a lot of ET early in the run with tire shake.

Marie Ferriolo is now on the bump spot at 5.950.

---

Left Lane: Todd Veney Runs 12.688/84.16, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.674/253.33, Was #9
Right Lane: Mark Rogers Runs 13.724/57.92, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.880/242.89, Was #14

Both cars launched into hard tire shake.

---

Left Lane: Dale Brand Runs 5.641/260.06, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.672/259.01, Was #8
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.675/256.70, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.855/255.58, Was #12

Two clean runs and a nice side-by-side show for the Saturday crowd.

Dale Brand's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.537, 660ft-3.748/205.10 mph, 1,000ft-4.777.
Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.543, 660ft-3.764/203.86 mph, 1,000ft-4.800.

---

Left Lane: Matt Gill Runs 5.706/257.58, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.655/256.36, Was #7
Right Lane: DJ Cox Jr. Runs 5.725/251.58, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.716/251.72, Was #12

These two runs looked okay, but neither driver was unable to improve over their first run today.

---

Left Lane: Dan Pomponio Runs 5.633/256.70, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.610/254.23, Was #4
Right Lane: Mickey Ferro Runs 5.627/258.22, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.671/253.85, Was #8

Ferro's car meandered a bit on the first half of the run, but that didn't appear to slow him down much. Pomponio had a much better first half than Ferro, but Ferro made it up on the top end.

Dan Pomponio's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.508, 660ft-3.722/203.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.758.
Mickey Ferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.975 sec., 330ft-2.526, 660ft-3.731/205.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.757.

---

Left Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.603/260.86, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.593/260.51, Was #3
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.671/260.26, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.562/262.90, Was #1

Good-looking runs in both lanes, Payne's car moving around a little more than Harker's.

Steve Harker's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.520, 660ft-3.721/207.05 mph, 1,000ft-4.742.
Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.549, 660ft-3.775/203.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.806.

---

Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.553/261.57, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.587/259.81, Was #2

Last car of the session. Lombardo knocked Payne out of the #1 spot with a flawless-looking run, the car on rails, right down the middle of the groove.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.491, 660ft-3.680/208.55 mph, 1,000ft-4.694.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink