Sat, 31 Oct 2015, 21:10 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from final, round 4 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:

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Left Lane: Tim Gibbons Runs 4.830/174.50, Now #20; Best prior run: 8.696/92.99, Was #21
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.136/303.03, Now #16; Best prior run: 9.579/86.25, Was #22

5:18 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 27.89 inches, adjusted altitude 4,196 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

Bode puts a cylinder out late in the run but he makes his quickest pass of the weekend and gets in the field on the bump spot for now.

Gibbons gets about 300 feet out and the flames turn green. He gets about 400 feet out, the engine erupts in a ball of flame, and he rolls through the finish line. He brings the car to a stop and climbs safely out of the hatch.

This is Gibbon's first oildown and it will cost him $1000.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.271/266.37, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.939/168.60, Was #21
Right Lane: John Hale Runs 4.415/278.81, Now #20; Best prior run: 7.392/86.69, Was #22

Hale gets about 100 feet out, has to pedal, and he doesn't make the show. Haddock was on a decent pass but lost the blower belt about 800 feet out and the car nosed over.

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend No Time, Now #21; Best prior run: 4.792/182.90, Was #21
Right Lane: Brandon Welch No Time, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.306/291.51, Was #19

Welch put a cylinder out early, gets pushed toward the centerline, then the engine blows and he takes out a couple of timing blocks at the end of the track. Arend was slowing near the end of the run and Welch took out the blocks before he reached the centerline and he does not receive a time.

This is the first oildown for Welch and it will cost him $1000.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.031/302.48, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.052/295.59, Was #14
Right Lane: John Bojec Runs 4.935/162.08, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.140/303.78, Was #17

Bojec gets about 500 feet out and the flames go out, not sure why. Pedregon goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up a spot in the order.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.171/99.05, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.017/310.05, Was #12
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 7.821/88.74, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.010/322.58, Was #8

Hagan rattles the tires at the hit, gets about 100 feet out and backs off the throttle. Pedregon gets a little further, bangs the blower and the chutes come out.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.967/323.12, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.016/319.45, Was #11
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 11.604/83.44, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.984/319.22, Was #7

DeJoria hits the throttle and goes up in smoke instantly. Capps makes his quickest pass of the weekend and he moves all the way to the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.992/315.05, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.013/317.94, Was #11
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.969/325.92, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.969/321.73, Was #5

Worsham makes another good run, equalling his pass from earlier today. Wilkerson goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and he moves up to the ninth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.940/324.28, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.011/316.30, Was #11
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 7.545/86.04, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.937/314.90, Was #3

Beckman makes his quickest pass of the weekend and goes all the way to the fourth spot for now. Hight rattled the tires early and was off the throttle before he reached the 330 foot mark.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.769/165.31, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.980/321.50, Was #8
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.138/288.52, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.933/325.77, Was #2

John was moving around early in the run, breaks the tires loose about 300 feet out, and backs off the throttle. Courtney car was dancing around all the way through the run.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 10.927/63.18, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.976/310.77, Was #7
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.937/317.42, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.931/320.43, Was #1

Head hits the throttle and goes up in smoke. Johnson goes right down the groove with another good pass and picks up another three points.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink