Fri, 19 Sep 2014, 20:41 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals 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: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.358/285.77, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.106/310.55, Now #6; No Prior Run

7:03 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 59 percent, barometer 29.31 inches, adjusted altitude 3,326 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Neither of these drivers made an attempt in the first round.

Arend makes a clean pass and gets in the field in the sixth spot. Diehl makes a clean pass and gets in the 14th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.240/291.38, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.120/111.96, Was #17
Right Lane: Todd Simpson Runs 4.323/285.83, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.233/80.09, Was #18

Haddock keeps all the candles lit on this pass and moves up to the 14th spot. Simpson had traction problems in the first round. He makes a full pass here and moves up to the 15th spot.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.088/307.79, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.320/136.41, Was #18
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.119/305.15, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.160/302.48, Was #13

Worsham had a cylinder out in the first round and had to click it off. He keeps all the candles lit on this one and goes all the way to third spot for now. Wilkerson goes right down the groove and improves to the eighth spot.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.258/248.57, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.387/220.84, Was #18
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.087/312.35, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.158/299.46, Was #14

Pedregon was on a decent pass to half track, then the candles went out a little early, not sure why. Beckman made a full pull and moved up to the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.083/312.86, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.136/283.19, Was #13
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.725/168.58, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.154/298.27, Was #14

Pedregon was out in front early, then the engine went silent about 600 feet out. Hagan made a complete pass and moved up to the third spot.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.039/314.90, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.131/310.70, Was #13
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.084/309.06, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.128/295.34, Was #12

Force makes an impressive pass, setting the track ET and speed record to move to the top spot. Head makes a clean pass and moves up to the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.096/306.26, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.122/304.87, Was #13
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.088/312.13, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.102/309.84, Was #10

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove, header flames high and steady all the way through the run. Hight improves and goes to the seventh spot, Tasca moves up to the tenth spot.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.041/305.42, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.101/304.74, Was #11
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.051/311.92, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.095/310.63, Was #9

Two more good looking runs, these two were glued together all the way down the track. DeJoria gets to the line first and moves up to the second spot, Capps right behind in third.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 6.729/97.77, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.081/314.24, Was #5
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.492/127.13, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.076/309.42, Was #4

Force gets about 300 feet out and the engine goes silent, not sure why. Johnson gets a little further and suffers the same fate.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink