Sat, 11 Feb 2017, 21:16 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session |
By David Gerard |
POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 57th 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:
Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.955/157.08, Now #17; Best prior run: 7.702/89.45, Was #18
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 6.848/98.51, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.160/161.25, Was #17
Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 61 percent, barometer 28.92 inches, adjusted altitude 2,301 feet, track temperature 73 degrees.
Matt Hagan is number one at 3.840 and Robert Hight is on the bump spot at 4.699. These are the only two cars that can bump him out.
Arend is away first and gets to near the 330 lights, when there is a flash/pop from the engine and he slows.
Densham's car gets way loose and moves hard towd the center line. [The report from the top is is that the wheelie bar broke]. He won't qualify either.
Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.853/327.43, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.699/232.67, Was #16
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 9.163/75.20, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.470/280.66, Was #14
Hight is safely in the show and looking to move way up the ladder. He is taking no prisoners and powers on down the track and into the new number three spot with ease. Nice!
Burkhart is second off the line and then has the tires shake loose shortly after that.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.204, 660ft-3.113/282.78 mph.
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 8.888/70.79, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.451/219.79, Was #14
5:06 p.m. We have a brief delay, as the Hight CHP Funny Car is stuck on the track near the turnout with a flat slick. NHRA guys couldn't get it up high enough to put on the ramp truck, so they had to run back for a new tire! They should have called AAA!
5:20 p.m. Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 4.564. He was supposed to be in the left lane, but he decided to pull out and save the pieces for tomorrow, as he can't be bumped.
Campbell hammers the pedal at the green, but the tires are shaking hard right off the line.
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.894/333.99, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.153/295.14, Was #13
Bode was already in the field and wion't make another pass.
Beckman finally gets a full pass and it's good enough to move six spots up the ladder into the top half of the field. Terrific looking pass, as the sun has set and the header flames are way over the roof!
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.257, 660ft-3.163/285.59 mph.
Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.933/323.97, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.942/320.58, Was #11
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 3.940/323.89, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.043/298.80, Was #12
a nice clean pass for both cars.
A three second pass for Worsham to stay #12 and TJ picks up just a little to move up a spot to #10.
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.250, 660ft-3.183/277.66 mph. Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.274, 660ft-3.189/279.61 mph.
Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 9.033/74.08, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.936/329.42, Was #11
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 7.134/94.59, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.906/319.98, Was #8
Todd didn't get to make a pass in Q2, so he is a little behind. This won't help, as they both shake hard off the line and click them off immediately
Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.879/330.39, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.932/304.94, Was #9
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 7.506/88.89, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.857/322.65, Was #6
They leave together and Wilkerson has better numbers down low. It's too much for the track and he gets the car a little sideway after that. The engine isn't happy and he clicks it off.
DeJoria has struggled a little up to now, but saves the best to last. She power on down the track on a picture perfect run to move up two spots into the top half of the field in the new number seven position.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.238, 660ft-3.144/284.99 mph.
5:32 p.m. Time out for dusting and cleaning. The call comes from the top end that there is oil on the track.
Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 7.811/69.33, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.849/330.23, Was #3
5:59 p.m. The track temperature has dropped to 69 degrees. Capps was on the grid and ready to start the engine, when the team pulled the NAPA Charger off to the side and went back to the pits. The report is that Capps felt that there was a "steering issue" with the car and they were already well qualified in number four.
Too much power, not enough track. Force puts a 0.870 sixty foot time up, but the tires are quickly shaking and spinning. She has to lift.
Left Lane: John Force Runs 8.325/81.79, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.849/335.15, Was #2
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.822/335.57, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.840/330.15, Was #1
Number one and number two qualifiers are side by side to wrap up qualifying for the weekend.
They both score 0.855 sixty foot times, but Force's Camaro has the tires spinning and shaking right after that. He lifts and coasts on down.
Hagan keeps the tires stuck to the track and thunders on down the track to duplicate his fastest and quickest pass ever that he ran last year to the thousandths. Needless to say, that is the new track ET and speed record too. MAGIC!
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.205, 660ft-3.096/288.89 mph.
6:02 p.m. Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 4.564.
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