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Sat, 12 Nov 2016, 16:53 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals 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: Jon Capps Runs 4.053/307.44, Now #12; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Anthony Begley Runs 4.191/286.50, Now #14; No Prior Run

1:11 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 8 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 28.94 inches, adjusted altitude 2,970 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Jack Beckman is number one at 3.865. Track ET and speed record.

Capps makes his best run of the weekend, quicker than last night's bump spot.

Begley sets another personal best ET and speed to get into the field for now.

Jon Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.313, 660ft-3.263/267.59 mph.
Anthony Begley's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.381, 660ft-3.375/259.41 mph.

Left Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 3.977/302.82, Now #11; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.904/156.61, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.071/268.33, Was #13

Densham struggles continue. He is in the field for now, but has to shut off early again.

Campbell makes a clean pass and matches his personal best ET.

Jim Campbell's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.264, 660ft-3.200/273.27 mph.

Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 3.869/324.83, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.953/316.67, Was #10
Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 3.945/325.06, Now #11; No Prior Run

Head has had a tough weekend, but makes up for it with style this time. He is off the line first and makes a strong and clean pass into the field.

Force gets all her duck in a row and powers on down the track eight spots to the new #2 spot. Nice pass!

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.228, 660ft-3.129/283.55 mph.
Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.270, 660ft-3.197/279.67 mph.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.891/324.59, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.883/323.66, Was #4
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.912/327.35, Now #7; No Prior Run

Capps is leading the points going into this race and has a strong chance to wrap up the Championship early. He has ended up number two in the points four different season in his career. NIce clean pass this time just a little off his best , with a better speed.

Worsham has struggled too and finally7 gets to the finish line under power. That moves him into the top half of the field.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec., 330ft-2.229, 660ft-3.145/280.95 mph.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.247, 660ft-3.166/279.79 mph.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.950/319.37, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Dave Richards Runs 4.110/294.50, Now #18; No Prior Run

Pedregon picks up the pace a lot and gets a clean pass into the field.

Richards slows from his best and won't make the field.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.272, 660ft-3.193/279.04 mph.
Dave Richards' incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.312, 660ft-3.300/258.62 mph.

Left Lane: John Bojec Runs 4.055/310.34, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.029/301.00, Was #15
Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.103/268.44, Now #18; No Prior Run

Jon Capps is on the bump spot at 4.053.

Bode gets a good start, but the pipes go wet around the 330 lights.

No joy for Bojec, as he doesn't improve. He was already in the field.

John Bojec's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.323, 660ft-3.274/270.00 mph.
Bob Bode's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.322, 660ft-3.275/268.17 mph.

Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.892/326.00, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.918/288.15, Was #8
Right Lane: John Hale Runs 4.390/206.51, Now #21; No Prior Run

Hale a good leave and then the header flames go weird and he lifts.

Johnson makes a strong pass and moves two spots up the ladder.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.881 sec., 330ft-2.232, 660ft-3.145/280.84 mph.
John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.909 sec., 330ft-2.304, 660ft-3.314/229.94 mph.

Left Lane: Brandon Welch Runs 4.249/246.03, Now #21; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 3.973/316.82, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.935/305.36, Was #11

Welsh will need a career best pass to bump into the field. The car leaves hard and then moves steadily towards the wall. He finally has to lift to keep the shiny.

Lee has a reasonable clean pass, but slows a little from yesterday.

Brandon Welch's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.345, 660ft-3.345/254.76 mph.
Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.283, 660ft-3.212/275.28 mph.

Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 6.149/109.34, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.930/317.19, Was #10
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 5.292/136.41, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.894/329.83, Was #7

Dueling tire smoke!

They leave together and dump together.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.823/161.75, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.920/328.38, Was #9
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 6.036/113.10, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.889/329.75, Was #5

Two more smokers.

Hight is away first and is 0.003 quicker to sixty feet, but is smoking the tires right after that.

Wilkerson gets to the 330 lights under power, but is done in after that.

Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.879/330.96, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.880/330.72, Was #3
Right Lane: Jack Beckman No Time, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.865/332.84, Was #1

Beckman's Charger hardly turns the tire before it is up in smoke.

Force powers on down the track and picks up both a little ET and speed to stay #3. Great way to wrap up the session.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.236, 660ft-3.143/283.73 mph.

1:46 p.m. Jon Capps is on the bump spot at 4.053.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink