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Fri, 09 Nov 2018, 21:36 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 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:

Right Lane: Ray Martin Runs 6.527/245.54, Now #11; Best prior run: 8.704/102.64, Was #17

5:44 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 16 percent, barometer 28.86 inches, adjusted altitude 2,073 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.

Sean Bellemeur is number one one at 5.411 and Steve Gasparrelli is on the bump spot at 8.613.

Martin's Monte Carlo jumps right up in the air at the green and spins the tires hard. He tries to pedal a couple of times to no avail. He gets into the field in number 11.

Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 7.473/129.92, Now #16; Best prior run: 8.613/155.74, Was #17
Right Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 5.833/252.24, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.020/172.08, Was #15

Hannes Wernhart is on the bump spot at 8.513.

Gasparrelli was just bumped out and has the car get crazy right off the line and he has to lift.

Williamson shakes some and pedals his way into the top eight for now.

Bret Williamson's incremental times: 60ft-0.948 sec., 330ft-2.629, 660ft-3.887/199.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.941.

Left Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 6.333/176.14, Now #12; Best prior run: 8.513/93.64, Was #17
Right Lane: Robert Turner No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.745/150.85, Was #13

Turner leaves before the tree and won't get a time.

Wernhart is in and out of the throttle to get the car to the finish line and move into the field in #12.

Left Lane: Chris Marshall No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.980/151.60, Was #16
Right Lane: Tyson Parker Runs 11.597/74.61, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.916/247.66, Was #10

Chris Marshall is on the bump spot at 6.980 and can't be bumped out. He goes way over center on this pass, as the Camaro is loose early and he stays after it too long. It powers hard left and takes out both of the 660 reflectors and just misses the 1000 foot reflectors. His better 6.327 ET would have moved him up to #12.

Parker gets loose early and wisely lifts.

5:51 p.m. More dusting and cleaning at half track.

Left Lane: Todd Swinford Runs 6.297/221.02, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.747/185.33, Was #15
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.507/267.27, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.845/233.44, Was #9

Payne makes a good straight pass, but doen't have the single chute come out until well past the finish line. He tries hard, but can't get it stopped before the Camaro rolls into the sand box. There is no apparent big damage. He still gets a three position improvement to #6.

Swinford chased Payne to the finish line and moves up three spots too without any drama.

Todd Swinford's incremental times: 60ft-99.999 sec., 330ft-99.999, 660ft-99.999/000.00 mph, 1,000ft-99.999.
Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-99.999 sec., 330ft-99.999, 660ft-99.999/000.00 mph, 1,000ft-99.999.

5:56 p.m. This will take a while to pull Payne's car out of the "Kitty Litter'!

Left Lane: John Lombardo Jr. Runs 6.245/166.93, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.230/169.59, Was #11
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 6.301/170.32, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.664/268.65, Was #8

6:12 p.m. Long session! Back to qualifying.

In almost a replay of Marshall, Lombardo's Camaro drives hard towards the centerline and he has to work hard to stay in his lane.

Gordon shakes the tires off the line and stays #8.

Left Lane: Kris Hool No Time, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.539/265.22, Was #7
Right Lane: Brian Hough Runs 6.928/134.95, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.499/266.95, Was #5

Hool was on a shaky pass off the line and then has the car move to the wall. He tries to drive out of it, but flattens the headers and bounces the back of the Camaro off the wall.

Hough gets a good start and then has the car actually jumps up on the tires and start bouncing. He wisely slows without any more drama.

6:14 p.m. Clean up on aisle one!

Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 10.451/82.58, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.486/265.90, Was #4
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 7.615/117.70, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.455/272.23, Was #2

6:21 p.m. Hopefully we can finish without anymore drama!

Well, that was sad! Both cars are way loose early and coasting!

Left Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 10.186/95.77, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.461/268.17, Was #3
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 12.045/87.51, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.411/271.79, Was #1

Last pair, and another pair of way loose funny cars.

6:26 p.m. Sean Bellemeur stays number one at 5.411 and Chris Marshall ends up on the bump spot at 6.980.

NOTE: They just announced that Top Alcohol Dragster Q3 is cancelled for tonight and will be run in the morning!

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink