Sat, 13 Sep 2014, 17:19 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Larry Sullivan

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in 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:

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.598/189.39, Now #14; Best prior run: 8.571/69.69, Was #16
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 6.117/113.34, Now #16; No Prior Run

4:52 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 63 percent, barometer 29.33 inches, adjusted altitude 3,317 feet, track temperature 117 degrees.

Gilbertson got to about half track, then slowed. But it was enough to bump Dave Richards - who inherited the bump spot when Head moved up a couple spots. It wasn't pretty, but, for now, both are now in the field.

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Left Lane: Dave Richards Runs 5.167/157.26, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.884/97.38, Was #17
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 9.644/72.67, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.185/292.77, Was #12

Won't take long to find out whether Richards can also improve - he needs to beat Bob Gilbertson's 6.117 to get back in the field. Again, it wasn't pretty, but Richards nursed a reluctant race car to the finish line under power and he bumped Gilbertson back out of the field. TJ lost traction fairly early in the run.

That ends the bumping, the ramining cars are already in the field.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.204/297.29, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.669/202.97, Was #15
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.784/169.21, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.141/287.66, Was #7

Force hazed the tires around the 330-foot marker and he lifted. Tasca finally got a full pass in the books and it moved him up a couple spots on the ladder.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.126/298.67, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.155/288.21, Was #9
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.143/300.46, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.126/306.46, Was #5

This was a nice race to watch, the two cars going right down the groove, locked together all the way. Force tied Worsham's best run, but he stayed fifth on speed, she had to settle for sixth, the highest-qualified of the JFR cars so far.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.330, 660ft-3.320/261.47 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.333, 660ft-3.335/257.87 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.123/300.60, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.147/294.37, Was #9
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.154/302.55, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.124/305.22, Was #4

Pedregon wasn't in the top twelve yesterday, but this run moved him around all the JFR cars and into the third spot. He tied Ron Capps' ET, gets the third spot on speed.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.108/308.14, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.128/300.20, Was #8
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.166/302.55, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.123/297.35, Was #4

Unless Hight improves, he will face John Force in round one. If Hight does improve and moves up, John Force will face Courtney Force in round one.

Two good runs, but Capps failed to improve. Hight, however, went right down the groove at moved all the way up to the #2-qualifier spot, setting up another Father-Daughter matchup for the Force family.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.336, 660ft-3.317/263.51 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.347, 660ft-3.359/259.01 mph.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.090/300.53, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.100/298.80, Was #1
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.164/300.66, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.114/304.25, Was #3

Last pair, and one of them will start eliminations from the #1 spot.

Again, two good runs, but DeJoria ran low ET of the event, the only run under 4.10 seconds, and she will lead the field into eliminations.

Hagan made a good run, but did not improve and will start third.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.300, 660ft-3.286/261.17 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.355/257.33 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink