Sat, 20 Sep 2014, 14:38 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 3 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: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.099/149.88, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.119/305.15, Was #13
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.180/298.21, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.083/312.86, Was #6

1:15 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 88 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 29.41 inches, adjusted altitude 3,339 feet, track temperature 130 degrees.

Wilkerson hazed the tires about 400 feet out, made a move toward the centerline, then backed off the throttle. Hagan made a clean pass but did not improve.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.757/183.69, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.081/314.24, Was #5

Force hazed the tires about 300 feet out, pedaled a couple of times, then gave up on the run.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.530/224.85, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.051/311.92, Was #3
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.376/252.66, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.096/306.26, Was #11

Capps hazed the tires about 300 feet out and started moving around. He pedaled a couple of times before giving up on the run. Tasca started hazing the tires about 600 feet out and had to pedal a couple of times.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.544/198.47, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.088/312.13, Was #9
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.929/164.85, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.106/310.55, Was #12

Hight gets about 400 feet out and hazes the tires. He pedals a couple of times and is able to recover. Arend hazes the tires about 400 feet out, pedals, then gives up on the run.

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Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 5.649/132.76, Now #13; No Prior Run

Diehl gets about 400 feet out and has traction problems but gets in the field for now.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.718/171.93, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.076/309.42, Was #4
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.658/180.94, Now #13; No Prior Run

Johnson and Pedregon have traction problems about 300 feet out. Pedregon gets in the show in the 13th spot for now. Johnson stays in the fourth spot.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.157/293.73, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.061/231.28, Now #15; No Prior Run

Pedregon makes an impressive pass for the conditions, the quickest of the round so far, and he gets in the field in the 13th spot for now. Haddock has traction problems about 300 feet out but gets in the field for now.

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Left Lane: Todd Simpson Runs 5.172/163.12, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.606/186.20, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.088/307.79, Was #10

Simpson drifts to the left, then back to the right. He gets close to the centerline about 600 feet out and has to back off the throttle. Worsham hazes the tires a little in the middle of the run and does not improve.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.235/295.59, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.087/312.35, Was #8
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria No Time, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.041/305.42, Was #2

DeJoria hits the throttle to do a burnout and the engine makes a strange sound. She backs up, then they shut the engine down. Beckman makes a clean pass but does not improve.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 6.183/107.10, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.084/309.06, Was #7
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.262/257.24, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.039/314.90, Was #1

Head gets about 300 feet out and hazes the tires. Force almost made it to the end of the track but started moving around about 900 feet out.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink