Fri, 12 Feb 2016, 19:48 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 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 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: Bob Bode Runs 4.133/283.37, Now #11; Best prior run: 10.644/83.03, Was #17

4:08 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 28.94 inches, adjusted altitude 3,245 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Tommy Johnson Jr. is on the bump spot at 4.496.

Bode's engine was eating itself, with strange orange flames and raw fuel from the headers, but it stayed together to the stripe.

Now James Campbell is on the bump spot at 4.348.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.124/281.07, Now #10; Best prior run: 7.507/62.72, Was #16
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 10.481/85.27, Now #17; Best prior run: 9.317/86.61, Was #17

Haddock was up in smoke immediately. Pedregon's engine started struggling at about 800 feet, the flames out as he crossed the stripe.

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Left Lane: John Hale No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.318/155.79, Was #16
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.959/308.07, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.169/141.21, Was #15

After Pedregon's run, Bob Bode inherited the bump spot at 4.133.

Hale's engine went silent at the end of the burnout. Beckman was on a very strong pass, but the header flames went orange on the top end.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.252, 660ft-3.189/276.07 mph.

Now Gary Densham is on the bump spot at 4.127.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 6.515/98.67, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.496/187.96, Was #15
Right Lane: James Campbell Runs 4.797/183.62, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.348/220.76, Was #14

These were not pretty runs. Lots of engine woes and lots of unburned fuel.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.092/307.79, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.127/304.25, Was #12
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.041/312.93, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.071/295.14, Was #9

Densham's car kept going left, but he didn't lift and didn't hit the wall. Wilkerson went right down the groove. Both improved slightly and both moved up a spot or two.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.028/313.22, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.110/308.78, Was #11
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 10.203/61.32, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.047/310.34, Was #9

Head was up in smoke after 200 feet. Hagan was off to a strong start, but fell off the pace a bit on the top end.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.286, 660ft-3.251/267.69 mph.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.065/300.60, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.017/314.83, Was #6
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.043/316.60, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.029/316.97, Was #8

There was a flash of flame and smoke from Force's car at the stripe and he stopped short and popped out the hatch. On the Slo-Mo replay, flames were visible inside the car.

John Force was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points and $1K.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.310, 660ft-3.273/267.43 mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.312, 660ft-3.273/269.08 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.950/323.04, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.973/321.12, Was #4
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.971/322.58, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.995/295.85, Was #5

After the cleanup, two very nice runs, both drivers under four second for the second time today and improving over their first runs.

Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.879 sec., 330ft-2.257, 660ft-3.194/275.73 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.263, 660ft-3.212/273.55 mph.

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Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.945/322.88, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.949/326.87, Was #2
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 6.867/95.79, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.942/322.19, Was #1

Force made the best run of the round, improved slightly, but Hight held on to first place by thousandths. Hight was up in smoke after a couple hundred feet.

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.249, 660ft-3.191/276.24 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink