Sun, 06 Sep 2015, 16:31 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Notes from final, round 4 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:

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.736/178.10, Now #16; Best prior run: 16.129/29.21, Was #16
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.157/300.20, Now #12; No Prior Run

3:56 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 93 degrees, relative humidity 41 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 3,904 feet, track temperature 127 degrees.

Jack Beckman is number one at 3.936 and Bob Bode is on the bump spot at 16.129.

Bode will stay on the bump, as he makes his best pass of the weekend. He loses traction and has to lift.

Head finally gets to the finish line under power and bumps into the field in the number 12 spot.

Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.329, 660ft-3.342/253.85 mph.

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Left Lane: Justin Schriefer No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.780/99.07, Was #17
Right Lane: John Bojec Runs 18.752/119.53, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.211/297.55, Was #15

Schriefer's crew doesn't get the engine started and he will not make the show. The crew pushes the car away. Bojec smokes the tires at the green. That sets the field.

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Left Lane: John Hale Runs 4.248/289.63, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.196/306.88, Was #14
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.152/293.28, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.179/288.33, Was #13

Nice clean pass for Pedregon and he moves the Vapor Station Camry up a spot to #12.

Hale chases him down the track, but is off the pace.

John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.398, 660ft-3.415/251.67 mph.
Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.323, 660ft-3.328/254.76 mph.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.992/157.08, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.113/314.09, Was #11
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.226/240.04, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.090/309.49, Was #10

Father and Daughter bring their Camaro's to the line in #10 and #11.

Courtney gets away first and leads for a short while. The engine goes silent before the 660 lights.

John has much better incrementals early, but his engine is quiet right at the 660 lights.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.364, 660ft-3.587/177.11 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.321, 660ft-3.311/262.44 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.126/250.51, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.033/317.34, Was #9
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.897/161.19, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.023/315.49, Was #8

These two will race each other tomorrow, if there are no improvements.

Big numbers early and, like the Force's runs, Hagan is coasting first and then Capps quickly follows.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.259, 660ft-3.233/256.89 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.311, 660ft-3.519/179.28 mph.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.118/301.13, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.017/305.91, Was #7
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.324/221.34, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.000/314.97, Was #6

Courtney Force will race DeJoria first round, if there are no changes.

Two full passes and Pedregon makes the best pass of the session, but can't improve.

DeJoria runs well until after the 660 lights and then slows.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.305, 660ft-3.308/257.04 mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.332, 660ft-3.325/249.86 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.102/305.49, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.978/322.11, Was #4
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.121/307.16, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.976/318.32, Was #3

Two strong passes. Worsham makes the best run of the session, so far, and Johnson makes the third best.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.325, 660ft-3.307/264.65 mph.
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.323/258.76 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.051/309.06, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.936/323.74, Was #1
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.138/303.71, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.971/322.96, Was #2

This pair is also the final round of the Traxxas FC Shootout.

Beckman has terrific incrementals and makes the best pass of the session, by far, to retain the number one spot.

Clean pass for Hight in these conditions and he will stay #2 going into tomorrow's eliminations.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.279, 660ft-3.262/263.77 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.346, 660ft-3.341/260.76 mph.

4:25 p.m. Bob Bode is on the bump spot at 4.736.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink