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Sat, 27 Feb 2016, 16:54 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 32nd annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA 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: Alexis DeJoria No Time, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 7.327/99.41, Now #13; No Prior Run

2:19 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 28.75 inches, adjusted altitude 3,145 feet, track temperature 118 degrees.

No bump spot this weekend! Only fourteen cars.

"That was weird!" DeJoria hit the throttle at the green, the Camry jerked forwards, and then just died.

Haddock has a good leave and then kicked the tires about 200 feet out and started to coast.

Left Lane: John Hale Runs 4.105/312.06, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 9.905/41.37, Now #15; No Prior Run

This will be Diehl's first attempt of the weekend. Diehl's Solara was a little lazy off the line and then has a flash from the engine about 300 feet out. The chutes come out and the car barely gets past the finish line lights before stopping on the track.

Hale improves on his 4.183 from yesterday on a clean pass and moves into the field in the same position he was in at the end of the day yesterday.

John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.911 sec., 330ft-2.347, 660ft-3.327/267.22 mph.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.440/106.27, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.086/302.08, Was #12
Right Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.966/322.27, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.930/323.97, Was #1

That's two out of three passes into the threes for Force and another strong pass.

Pedregon left hard and then kicks the tires hard about 100 feet out.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.447, 660ft-4.297/115.10 mph.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.261, 660ft-3.210/273.88 mph.

Left Lane: James Campbell Runs 4.158/305.56, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.067/289.20, Was #11
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.985/315.71, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.980/316.52, Was #8

Worsham leaves well and runs straight and clean to the lights to run close to yesterday's best numbers.

Campbell makes it two good passes in a row. He loses a little ET, but picks up a bunch of speed.

Neith er car can improve.

James Campbell's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.386, 660ft-3.364/264.86 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.256, 660ft-3.215/271.08 mph.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.982/316.15, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.995/315.64, Was #9
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.061/306.26, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.030/318.17, Was #10

A nice pair of passes. Wilkerson picks up ET and Hagan slows a little on clean looking runs.

No joy though, as neither car can improve.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.284, 660ft-3.216/276.13 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.312, 660ft-3.281/268.22 mph.

Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.945/317.87, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.973/319.14, Was #6
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 3.987/317.64, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.976/314.31, Was #7

Side by side three second passes and Hight gets the best of the pair. He improves his ET enough to move four positions with the best run of the session, so far, but loses a little speed.

Head made another strong pass, but lost a little ET from yesterday to stay number seven. He does run a little faster though.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.251, 660ft-3.187/277.20 mph.
Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.291, 660ft-3.225/275.73 mph.

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 6.957/85.56, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.959/319.22, Was #4
Right Lane: John Force Runs 3.989/319.22, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.973/321.12, Was #6

Beckman car stumbles off the line and there is a puff of smoke from the engine and the car slows.

Force makes it three in a row three second passes to stay #6 on a strong pass.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.271, 660ft-3.225/272.12 mph.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.993/319.37, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.954/320.89, Was #3
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.573/181.35, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.965/318.77, Was #5

Last pair of the session.

A pair of DSR Dodges to the line. Capps has a lot of front tire shake at the end of the burn out. He gets the best of it with a strong three second pass. He is just a little off the pace from yesterday and will stay #3.

Johnson was right behind Capps at the green and runs close to him until near the 660 light, where the tires get loose.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.272, 660ft-3.229/272.56 mph.
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.880 sec., 330ft-2.275, 660ft-3.358/204.35 mph.

2:47 p.m. Courtney Force is still number one at 3.930 and Alexis DeJoria is on the bump spot, as she took the green.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink