Fri, 12 Feb 2016, 16:46 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: James Campbell Runs 4.348/220.76, Now #2
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.127/304.25, Now #1

1:01 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 28.97 inches, adjusted altitude 3,032 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Campbell is in the Worsham family flopper and this is his NHRA Funny Car debut.

Campbell was on a decent run for about 660 feet, then the engine stopped and all the pipes went wet. Densham made a very nice first-of-the season pass, but there was a lot of white smoke from the headers when he lifted.

Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.333, 660ft-3.322/258.47 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 9.317/86.61, Now #3
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 10.644/83.03, Now #4

The boots are shocking pink for this round.

Our first tire-smokers of the season, Bode up in smoke first, Haddock not long after.

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Right Lane: John Hale Runs 5.318/155.79, Now #3

Jeff Diehl was supposed to be in the left lane for this session, he's a no-show.

Hale's car was not burning the fuel completely on the right side, the header flames weak with reddish-brown smoke, and the unbalanced force pushed the car toward the wall. He lifted at about 600 feet, then the front wheels went in the wobbles in the shutdown area.

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Left Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.047/310.34, Now #2
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.949/326.87, Now #1

Two nice runs, Force the first in the threes this season. Head stayed close for about 600 feet, then started losing ground.



Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.290, 660ft-3.263/265.90 mph.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.883 sec., 330ft-2.272, 660ft-3.203/279.04 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.071/295.14, Now #3
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 7.507/62.72, Now #7

Pedregon started smoking the tires a couple hundred feet out and then there was a backfire through the supercharger. The chutes deployed and the fire bottles activated. Wilkerson was on a good run, but the flames went out early.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.029/316.97, Now #3
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.017/314.83, Now #2

Nice side-by-side show, both cars relatively straight and in the groove.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.314, 660ft-3.261/273.11 mph.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.291, 660ft-3.246/271.90 mph.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.942/322.19, Now #1
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.110/308.78, Now #7

Hight's car was wagging its tail a bit all the way down the track. but the rear tires were firmly planted and he went around Courtney Force and into the top spot. Hagan's run looked good, but he steadily lost ground to Hight right from the start.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.250, 660ft-3.188/276.58 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.319, 660ft-3.314/260.06 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.995/295.85, Now #3
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.496/187.96, Now #11

TJ's engine shut off way before the 660-foot marker. Capps made a nice run, but then the fun began because the chutes did not deploy. Onc chute finally blossomed and he managed to get it stopped a few feet in front of the sand pit. When he stopped, the blower belt came sliding out from the front of the car.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.251, 660ft-3.209/270.16 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 5.169/141.21, Now #13
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.973/321.12, Now #3

Last pair. Beckman hazed the tires about 300 feet out and clicked it off. Worsham made a nice, full pass to steal the final qualifying bonus point for the session from Capps.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.273, 660ft-3.213/274.16 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink