Sat, 31 Oct 2015, 17:20 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 3 qualifying in 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:

---

Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 9.579/86.25, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.792/182.90, Now #13; No Prior Run

1:32 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 27.96 inches, adjusted altitude 4,002 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Bode goes up in smoke at the hit and has to give up on the run quickly. Arend was on a decent pass but put a cylinder out about 300 feet out. The car gets pushed to the right and he is off the throttle before he reaches the 660 foot mark.

---

Left Lane: John Hale Runs 7.392/86.69, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.016/319.45, Now #11; No Prior Run

Hale rattles the tires early, gets about 200 feet out and backs off the throttle. Capps goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and he gets in the field in the 11th spot for now.

---

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.719/174.55, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.010/322.58, Was #8
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.052/295.59, Now #13; No Prior Run

Hagan was on a decent pass but started hazing the tires about 500 feet out. Pedregon goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the field in the 13th spot for now.

---

Left Lane: John Bojec Runs 4.140/303.78, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.002/318.99, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.980/321.50, Was #5

Force goes right down the groove with the quickest pass of the round so far but doesn't improve. Bojec makes his quickest pass of the weekend and gets in the show in the 15th spot for now.

---

Left Lane: Brandon Welch Runs 4.306/291.51, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.097/258.67, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.011/316.30, Was #9

Welch makes a clean, straight pass, his quickest of the weekend, and he gets in the field on the bump spot for now. Beckman was on a good pass but the car nosed over a little early and he slowed.

---

Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.178/275.56, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.050/311.41, Was #12
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.017/310.05, Now #12; No Prior Run

Pedregon was drifting to the left, gets about 900 feet out and the car makes a quick move to the right. He improves and gets in the show in the 12th spot. Densham makes a clean pass but doesn't improve.

---

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.969/321.73, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.999/322.19, Was #7
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.076/315.27, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.080/310.91, Was #15

Worsham makes an impressive pass for the conditions, the quickest of the round so far, and he moves up to the fourth spot in the order. Lee improves a little but not enough to move up in the order.

---

Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.989/318.69, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.984/319.22, Was #7
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.939/168.60, Now #19; No Prior Run

Haddock had a cylinder or two out, the car makes a quick move to the right about 700 feet out and he backs off the throttle. DeJoria makes a clean pass ut doesn't improve.

---

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.035/313.95, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.937/314.90, Was #3
Right Lane: Tim Gibbons Runs 8.696/92.99, Now #21; No Prior Run

Gibbons goes up in smoke at the hit, pedals several times, then finally gives up on the run. Hight makes a clean pass but doesn't improve.

---

Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 5.639/113.54, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.933/325.77, Was #2
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 6.323/104.55, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.013/317.94, Was #10

Wilkerson had a cylinder out early, gets about 400 feet out and backs off the throttle. Force gets about 500 feet out, the car noses over, then the chutes come out, not sure why.

---

Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 7.893/81.34, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.931/320.43, Was #1
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 5.226/140.40, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.976/310.77, Was #5

Johnson goes up in smoke early and backs off the throttle. Head makes it a little further, about 400 feet and strikes the tires.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink