Fri, 31 Oct 2014, 17:27 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 14th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Jon Capps Runs 5.042/165.42, Now #1

1:52 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 27.68 inches, adjusted altitude 4,859 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Capps gets out of the groove early in the run, makes a move toward the wall and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: John Bojec Runs 5.203/149.78, Now #2
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 7.324/85.89, Now #3

Lee shakes out the chute right off the line, gets about 300 feet out and backs off the throttle. Bojec was rattling the tires early, gets about 600 feet out and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.309/284.33, Now #1
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl No Time, Now #5

Diehl was sitting at the water box getting ready to fire up the engine when his chutes popped out, not sure why. The crew scrambled trying to get them back in but were unable to do so in time to make a pass. Haddock goes right down the groove, header flames high and steady all the way through the run.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.192/278.98, Now #1
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 5.865/116.29, Now #5

Arend gets about 300 feet out, hazes the tires and backs off the throttle. Pedregon goes right down the groove with a full pass to take the pole for now.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 7.576/77.90, Now #8
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.143/309.27, Now #1

Jimmy Prock has joined Jack beckman's team here in Las Vegas. He left John Force on Oct. 23rd and was hired by DSR the same day.

Beckman goes right down the groove with a full pass to take the top spot for now. Tasca had problems early in the run and backed off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.164/294.05, Now #2
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.022/156.01, Now #5

Wilkerson gets out of the groove, makes a move toward the wall about 500 feet out and has to back off the throttle. Pedregon makes a clean pass and moves into the second spot for now.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.127/308.57, Now #2
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.121/311.34, Now #1

This is the debut for the 2015 Funny Car body being driven by Del Worsham.

A good side-by-side, both went right down the groove. Capps makes the quickest pass of the round so far and moves into the top spot. Worsham was right behind in the new Toyota and moves into the second spot.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.175/286.32, Now #6
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.155/306.81, Now #4

DeJoria has a special paint job this race for breast cancer awareness. Through a partnership with Nevada Health Centers, free mammograms will be available to any female ticket holder over the age of 40 this weekend.

DeJoria goes right down the groove with a decent pass and moves into the sixth spot for now. Hight makes a clean run and gets in the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 6.196/105.55, Now #14
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.160/309.13, Now #5

Johnson gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires and backs off the throttle. Force goes right down the groove and moves into the fifth spot for now.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.152/304.74, Now #5
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.140/311.13, Now #3

Hagan goes right down the groove with a good pass to get in the third spot for now. Force made a decent pass but looked like he had a cylinder out late in the run.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink