Sat, 17 Oct 2015, 18:53 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th 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: Blake Alexander Runs 4.081/303.50, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Todd Simpson Runs 4.778/182.21, Now #18; Best prior run: 10.491/76.76, Was #19

5:13 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 29.68 inches, adjusted altitude 2,458 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Alexander makes a clean pass, right down the groove with the quickest pass of his career, and he gets in the field in the 13th spot for now. Simpson was on a decent pass, then starts hazing the tires and has to give up on the run.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.029/279.96, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.336/102.31, Was #20
Right Lane: Brian Stewart Runs 4.940/183.42, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.382/206.57, Was #16

Stewart leaves the line, has a cylinder out on the left side, and he starts drifting toward the centerline. He backs off the throttle, rolls for about 100 feet and gets back on it. The car moves toward the left again and he finally gives up on the run. Pedregon was on a pretty good pass but the pipes went wet and the car nosed over about 900 feet out. He still runs quick enough to get in the field for now.

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Left Lane: Dave Richards Runs 4.217/295.59, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.556/205.98, Was #18
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.109/295.14, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.089/303.50, Was #15

Richards makes the quickest pass of his career and gets in the field on the bump spot for now. Pedregon makes a clean pass but does not improve.

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Left Lane: John Hale Runs 4.140/304.53, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.257/276.58, Was #17
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 6.016/109.78, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.024/314.02, Was #10

Hale was just bumped out by Richards and has the chance to return the favor here...and he does it. hale goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and gets back in the show in the 16th spot. Head gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires and has to give up on the run.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.018/320.43, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.043/311.77, Was #12
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.951/321.27, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.002/312.42, Was #9

Johnson makes an impressive pass here, going right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and move into the sixth spot. Force improves and moves up a couple of spots to tenth.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.012/315.78, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.969/318.09, Was #9
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.553/183.74, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.968/320.13, Was #8

Wilkerson gets about 300 feet out, starts hazing the tires, then the car makes a hard move to the left and he has to back off the throttle. DeJoria makes a clean pass but does not improve.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.983/317.57, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.942/324.67, Was #5
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.008/318.99, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.960/320.28, Was #7

Force drifts to the right early in the run. He stays on the throttle but can't improve and he will have to run Courtney in the first round tomorrow. Capps makes a good pass but doesn't not improve and stays in the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.971/324.36, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.921/323.43, Was #3
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.993/320.81, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.941/325.14, Was #4

A good side-by-side here, both right down the groove, candles lit all the way through the run.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.951/321.35, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.917/323.58, Was #1
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.976/151.10, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.919/323.97, Was #2

Beckman was on a decent pass but hazes the tires about 300 feet out and backs off the throttle. Worsham ties Johnson for the quickest pass of the round but doesn't improve.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink