Fri, 08 Feb 2019, 14:24 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, 59th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com 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: Ray Martin Runs 7.051/209.36, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.843/139.59, Was #9

11:00 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 58 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 28.98 inches, adjusted altitude 1,383 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Field not filled, no bump spot.

Martin drives right into spin and is in and out of the throttle before finally clicking it early. He still moves up a spot on the ladder to #8.

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Left Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 6.735/175.96, Now #7; Best prior run: 7.359/179.30, Was #9
Right Lane: Chris Marshall No Time, Now #11; No Prior Run

Wild passes!

They are both shaking and spinning hard at the green.

They pedal a bunch and Marshall's Camaro tags the wall right before the finish line.

Gasparrelli looks to have engine problems down track to boot!

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Left Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 5.746/254.86, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.791/230.88, Was #8
Right Lane: Nick Januik Runs 5.843/262.18, Now #7; Best prior run: 13.154/103.98, Was #11

A lot less drama this time!

Williamson finds some tune up and is able to move up two spots on a relatively clean pass.

Januik is loose off the line and still gets near a full pas to move four spots up the ladder into the #7 spot.

Bret Williamson's incremental times: 60ft-1.016 sec., 330ft-2.610, 660ft-3.824/204.60 mph, 1,000ft-4.864.
Nick Januik's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.684, 660ft-3.944/201.22 mph, 1,000ft-4.980.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.399/270.37, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.493/267.64, Was #4
Right Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 13.744/58.23, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.177/209.79, Was #8

Wernhart hits the tires hard and them shakes them loose early.

Hough runs a career best ET and speed to move right up to the top spot on a strong pass.

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.430, 660ft-3.586/214.55 mph, 1,000ft-4.568.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.441/271.52, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.479/271.02, Was #4
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.480/259.71, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.616/243.28, Was #5

Two strong passes and they both improve.

Westerfield is away first and power right on down the track to pick up two places into the top four.

Payne left well, but may not make a full pass bases on his speed. He stays #5.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.626/213.67 mph, 1,000ft-4.611.
Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.459, 660ft-3.635/211.33 mph, 1,000ft-4.632.

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Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.403/272.34, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.444/270.54, Was #3
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 10.596/89.49, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.476/266.74, Was #4

Leanders is strong off the line and then kicks the tires loose.

Another strong pass for Gordon to move up a spot on the ladder to #2.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.431, 660ft-3.593/214.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.576.


11:20 a.m. No bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink