Sat, 31 Oct 2015, 13:48 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 15th annual NHRA Toyota 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: Robert Turner No Time, Now #17; No Prior Run

10:08 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 28.00 inches, adjusted altitude 3,493 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.

Turner broke on the burnout on his first attempt yesterday.

Turner stages then hits the throttle before the tree comes down and will still not have a time.

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Left Lane: Chip Beverett Runs 6.603/250.32, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Mike Drake Runs 6.078/245.14, Now #12; No Prior Run

Both of these drivers left before the tree was activated yesterday in the first round of qualifying.

Drake goes down the groove with a decent pass to get in the show in the 12th spot for now. Beverett rattles the tires early, has to pedal once, then went on through and gets in the 15th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Todd Veney Runs 5.622/259.91, Now #4; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 6.186/176.53, Now #14; No Prior Run

Veney goes right down the groove with a decent pass and gets in the show in the fourth spot for now. Wernhart was drifting to the right all the way through the run and was off the throttle early.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 6.082/252.80, Now #14; Best prior run: 8.174/143.09, Was #18
Right Lane: Nick Januik Runs 6.846/151.53, Now #19; Best prior run: 12.467/63.11, Was #20

Januik rattles the tires off the line, has to pedal and makes a move to the left. He steers it back to the right, then back to the left, then gets it back in the groove. Gasparrelli has traction problems early, pedals once, then gets the slicks to bite and goes on through and gets in the field in the 14th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.798/207.69, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.557/244.74, Was #17
Right Lane: Clint Thompson Runs 6.204/247.20, Now #17; Best prior run: 10.768/102.57, Was #20

Ruckman was on a decent pass but the engine popped about 1000 feet out and the car nosed over. Thompson went up in smoke at the hit, pedaled once and was able to recover, but he still doesn't make the show.

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Left Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 5.797/244.78, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.287/237.75, Was #18
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.033/256.65, Was #13

Leanders rattles the tires off the line, pedals about 300 feet out, then bangs the blower and the chutes deploy. Marshall makes a clean pass and improves, moving up to the 11th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 11.142/73.37, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.726/253.80, Was #8

Bellemeur shakes the tires off the line, gets about 200 feet out and gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 8.577/104.62, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.680/261.47, Was #7
Right Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 5.478/264.91, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.793/258.42, Was #10

Whiteley rattles the tires off the line, drifts to the right, then backs off the throttle. Lindberg goes right down the groove with the quickest pass of the weekend so far to move up to the top spot for now.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 10.590/79.95, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.635/260.06, Was #6
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 7.984/115.62, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.771/245.32, Was #10

Westerfield made a move to the right at the hit, pedals and steers it back to the left, then backs off the throttle about 300 feet out. Payne rattles the tires pretty hard early in the run and gave up on it quickly.

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Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 5.554/266.11, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.610/264.65, Was #4
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.621/257.92, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.652/256.55, Was #7

Lombardo makes a clean, straight pass and moves up to the second spot. Hool makes a decent pass and moves up a couple of spots in the order.

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Left Lane: Mickey Ferro Runs 5.546/266.58, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.581/253.28, Was #4
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 11.566/71.85, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.580/261.27, Was #3

Gordon rattles the tires at the hit, gets about 100 feet out and backs off the throttle. Ferro makes a good pass and moves up to the second spot to end this session.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink