Fri, 25 Sep 2015, 19:57 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest 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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Right Lane: John Bojec Runs 7.144/92.59, Now #16; No Prior Run

6:16 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 39 percent, barometer 29.61 inches, adjusted altitude 2,523 feet, track temperature 95 degrees.

Bojec hits the throttle, gets about 300 feet out and the car noses over, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Brian Stewart Runs 4.162/293.03, Now #12; Best prior run: 7.251/93.42, Was #17
Right Lane: John Hale Runs 4.095/305.63, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.275/107.07, Was #15

Stewart drifted to the left early but was able to keep it off the wall without lifting off the throttle. He improves and moves up to the 12th spot for now. Hale went right down the groove and moves up to the seventh spot.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.998/318.02, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.337/227.08, Was #15
Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 4.238/295.92, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.992/143.34, Was #16

Wilkerson goes right down the groove with the first ever three second pass by a Funny Car at Gateway Motorsports park to set the track record and move into the top spot. Creasy was on a decent pass but looks like the engine started going away just before he went through the lights.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.932/155.01, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.154/294.88, Was #12
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.963/319.22, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.218/239.10, Was #15

Head gets about 300 feet out, starts hazing the tires and the flames go out. Johnson goes right down the groove and takes the track record and the number one spot from Wilkerson.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 8.377/83.85, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.073/305.91, Was #8
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 7.968/79.01, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.184/290.44, Was #15

0-for-2 on this one. DeJoria rattles the tires at the hit, gets about 200 feet out and backs off the throttle. Pedregon shakes the tires, gets a few feet further and gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.985/322.42, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.071/314.53, Was #7
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.053/305.22, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.150/302.41, Was #12

Force goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the day to go to the second spot for now. Pedregon makes a clean pass and moves up to the seventh spot for now.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 7.892/78.00, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.058/307.37, Was #8
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.994/313.22, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.148/251.58, Was #12

Force hits the throttle, gets about 100 feet out and goes up in smoke. Hight goes right down the groove with the third three second pass of the round to move up to the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.946/323.43, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.053/313.73, Was #7
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.970/323.66, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.116/313.51, Was #12

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove, header flames high and steady all the way through the runs. Beckman sets the track ET record and moves up to the top spot. Hagan sets the track speed record and gets in the third spot.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.959/319.90, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.033/313.95, Was #7
Right Lane: Ron Capps No Time, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.047/308.50, Was #8

Worsham goes right down the groove with the quickest pass of his career and moves up to the second spot. Capps had green flames coming out of the left side of the engine all the way through his run. He drifts left all the way through run, crosses the centerline and takes out the timing blocks at the end of the track and his run will not count.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink