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Sat, 05 Sep 2015, 22:35 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 61st annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. 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: John Hale Runs 4.196/306.88, Now #5; No Prior Run

9:35 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.16 inches, adjusted altitude 3,242 feet, track temperature 95 degrees.

Ron Capps is number one at 4.064 and Matt Hagan is on the bump spot at 4.954.

Hale makes a clean and straight run to start the session and put him in the top half of the field for now.

John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.395, 660ft-3.397/259.26 mph.

Left Lane: Justin Schriefer No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.910/116.48, Was #16
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 10.581/62.97, Now #17; Best prior run: 9.792/66.26, Was #17

Courtney Force is on the bump spot at 4.848.

Two broken runs. Schriefer leave a bunch early and gets a rear wheel start. The Charger is quickly up in smoke.

Head sits in the lights for a bit and then strikes the tires right off the line.

Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 9.668/68.21, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.848/162.90, Was #12
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.000/314.97, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.998/155.63, Was #14

9:50 p.m. there was a lot of clean up in both lanes, but no oil down penalties.

They have good low numbers, but Force strikes the tires right after the 60 foot lights.

DeJoria was outside the field, but powers on down the track on a great looking run to jump right to the top of the ladder. Her four flat ET is close to the track record too.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.284, 660ft-3.232/271.79 mph.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.017/305.91, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.801/166.56, Was #12
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.153/237.46, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.954/152.95, Was #14

Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 4.801 and looking to get off. He is second off the line, but keeps the tires stuck on a strong pass to move up to the #2 spot.

Hagan was away first and had better incrementals going down the track. The Charger started a steady move towards the center line and he had to pedal. He gets it straightened out and finishes the run into the top half of the field at only 237.46 MPH. Strong!

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.264, 660ft-3.223/265.22 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.257, 660ft-3.225/257.78 mph.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.998/319.75, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.678/178.99, Was #12
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.971/322.96, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.751/169.25, Was #13

10:07 p.m. We just had another delay. The award ceremony for the TF Traxxas Shootout. Back to qualifying.

They leave leave together and run right down the track to make the first side by side three second runs at Indy. Wilkerson's ET matched the old track record and Hight stepped up to reset both the ET and speed records. Very nice!

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.296, 660ft-3.234/273.22 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.279, 660ft-3.216/276.29 mph.

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.936/323.74, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.282/225.82, Was #12
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.179/288.33, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.282/284.62, Was #11

Jack Beckman is on the bump spot at 4.282 and the prior pair set a mark for him to shoot for. Beckman takes the challenge and throws down his own challenge with a low ninety and an even faster speed. That track record didn't last very long!

Pedregon made a nice clean pass, but was in another time zone to Beckman. He picks up a bunch to stay #11.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.255, 660ft-3.184/277.26 mph.
Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec., 330ft-2.359, 660ft-3.356/256.99 mph.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.978/322.11, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.125/305.22, Was #9
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.578/179.85, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.090/309.49, Was #7

John Hale is on the bump spot at 4.196.

They leave close together and run together until right right after the 330 lights, where Force's Camaro pulls the tire loose and he has to lift.

Worsham finishes his pass without an issue and runs better that the original record to take over the #3 spot.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.281, 660ft-3.220/273.72 mph.

Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.976/318.32, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.117/303.23, Was #9
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.645/175.96, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.064/308.00, Was #7

In almost a repeat of the last pair, Capps has terrific early numbers and then is up in smoke at the 330 lights.

Johnson keeps the power to the ground and finishes the run with a great ET and the final #3 spot for the day.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.282, 660ft-3.215/276.58 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.268, 660ft-3.387/197.02 mph.

10:20 p.m. Jack Beckman is number one at 3.936 and John Hale is on the bump spot at 4.196.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink