Fri, 09 Nov 2018, 15:16 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th 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:

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Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.455/272.23, Now #1; No Prior Run

11:36 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 10 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 2,625 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Whiteley goes from outside to the top on a great looking pass!

Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.477, 660ft-3.644/213.54 mph, 1,000ft-4.627.

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Left Lane: Tyson Parker Runs 5.916/247.66, Now #4; Best prior run: 28.000/139.75, Was #16
Right Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 8.513/93.64, Now #12; No Prior Run

Tyson Parker is on the bump spot.

Wernhart's Monte Carlo drives towards the wall and he has to pedal. He finishes the run to get a qualifying time.

Parker gets a time today too and is currently in the top four, but likely not for long.

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Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.411/271.79, Now #1; Best prior run: 13.178/79.32, Was #17
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 8.613/155.74, Now #14; Best prior run: 9.937/99.22, Was #16

Steve Gasparrelli is on the bump spot at 9.937. Gasparrelli strikes the tires hard right at the green.

Bellemeur, the new TAFC Champion, makes a clean and straight pass right up to the top spot from near the bottom.

Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.442, 660ft-3.599/214.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.583.

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Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.664/268.65, Now #5; Best prior run: 9.747/93.04, Was #16
Right Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 6.230/169.59, Now #8; Best prior run: 9.873/88.43, Was #17

Doug Gordon is now on the bump spot at 9.747. He take care of that quickly with a nice strong pass into the #5 pass.

Lombardo had to pump the throttle a couple of times early and still moves into the current top eight.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.590, 660ft-3.813/206.67 mph, 1,000ft-4.822.
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.470, 660ft-3.691/187.78 mph, 1,000ft-4.968.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin Runs 11.541/99.11, Now #17; Best prior run: 8.704/102.64, Was #17
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.486/265.90, Now #4; Best prior run: 7.007/135.82, Was #13

Steve Gasparrelli is on the bump spot at 8.613.

Martin's Monte Carlo shakes and spins at the green.

Westerfield gets the power to the ground this time and makes a strong pass to the top four.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.471, 660ft-3.645/211.53 mph, 1,000ft-4.642.

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Left Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 7.586/121.59, Now #14; Best prior run: 7.020/172.08, Was #14
Right Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 7.888/137.83, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.980/151.60, Was #13

11:48 a.m. Looks like oil clean up in the right lane after the finish line. 11:55 a.m. Back to qualifying. Steve Gasparrelli is on the bump spot at 8.613.

Both cars leave hard and then gets loose. They pump the pedals and then both have to give it up.

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Left Lane: Robert Turner Runs 10.905/75.25, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.745/150.85, Was #11
Right Lane: Todd Swinford Runs 6.747/185.33, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.849/166.52, Was #12

Two more broken runs.

Turner first and he lifts and coasts.

Swinford is in and out of the throttle a couple of times to improve his ET, but will stay #12.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.499/266.95, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.241/165.48, Was #10
Right Lane: Kris Hool Runs 5.539/265.22, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.662/250.83, Was #5

Much better! Two full passes this time!

Hough makes a strong pass right up to the current #5 on a strong pass.

Hool makes a season best pass, but still gets pushed back a spot!

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.480, 660ft-3.654/210.87 mph, 1,000ft-4.654.
Kris Hool's incremental times: 60ft-0.957 sec., 330ft-2.479, 660ft-3.673/207.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.688.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.845/233.44, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.092/179.21, Was #9
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 12.252/88.46, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.461/268.17, Was #3

Oh, well! Two more busted runs.

Leanders has the engine RPM skyrocket, as the Camaro is all over the track off the starting line. The body burst panel pops loose and he coasts on down.

Payne gets out a ways, shakes, pumps, and drives on down the track to move up one spot on the ladder into the top eight.

12:08 p.m. Bellemeur is number one at 5.411 and Steve Gasparrelli is on the bump spot at 8.613.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink