Fri, 08 Feb 2019, 19:01 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in 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: Jeff Diehl Runs 12.042/80.25, Now #14; No Prior Run

3:13 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 1,881 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Ron Capps is number one at 3.915 and Field not filled, no bump spot.

Diehl sat out session one and goes right up in smoke hard immediately at the green. He coasts on down to put a number on the board.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 8.840/73.65, Now #14; No Prior Run

Terry Haddock was scheduled to be in the right lane.

A normal burnout this time for Pedregon. He is driving the Worsham Family FC.

The Stratus tries to leave hard, but rattles the tires right off the line. It's good enough to put him into the field.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.241/303.78, Now #8; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Phil Burkart No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 8.584/79.12, Was #13

Burkhart's team shuts him off and they push the car away.

Densham gets to make a pass this time and moves up into the current top eight.

Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.407, 660ft-3.429/256.80 mph.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.929/314.61, Now #3; Best prior run: 8.010/79.35, Was #13
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.944/316.52, Now #6; Best prior run: 7.843/90.00, Was #12

Both teams have their acts together this time. They leave close together and run close together right on down the track.

Johnson is quicker by a little and moves up ten spots on the ladder right to the number three spot.

Tasca is faster and moves up six spots to number six.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.249, 660ft-3.174/279.21 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.251, 660ft-3.181/275.73 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.120/251.95, Now #11; Best prior run: 7.228/83.49, Was #13
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.044/253.37, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.014/168.58, Was #12

Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 12.042.

Beckman is way out in front early and drops a cylinder right after the 330 lights. The engine goes bang big time right around the 660 lights and he is done. He coasts on out and moves up three spots to #9.

Wilkerson drops a cylinder right after the 60 foot lights and grumble his way to the finish line. That's still good enough for two spots on the ladder.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.981/321.81, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.971/323.19, Was #7
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.871/329.67, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.338/269.40, Was #13

Hight puts up big numbers early with a 285 MPH speed at the 660 foot lights. The engine drops a cylinder or two right in the lights and pushes the Camaro way over towards the wall. Our first "eighty" ET moves him up twelve spots to the top spot for now.

Hagan looked slow next to Hight, but makes another clean pass close to his Q1 best. Hight's time move him back a spot, but he stays in the top eight.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.878 sec., 330ft-2.273, 660ft-3.220/273.44 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.230, 660ft-3.135/285.47 mph.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.408/194.72, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.940/319.98, Was #6
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.271/214.42, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.101/330.23, Was #11

Brian Corrati and Dan Hood are co-crew chiefs for Force this year.

Todd is away first and gets to near the 660 foot lights and has the Camry's backend step out and he has to pump rhe throttle.

Force gets just a little further before his Camaro makes a similar, but more violent move. He does a quick pedal slap and drives to the finish line.

THey will stay in their current spots on the ladder.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 8.038/82.29, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.930/328.14, Was #5
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 9.035/74.76, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.024/315.78, Was #9

Dueling shake and spin. They leave right together, shake and spin together, and lift together.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.589/180.00, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.927/325.77, Was #3
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 7.198/89.83, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.915/304.87, Was #2

Last two to try and they both overpower the track early and coast on down. Capps is smoking the tires first and Langdon gets just a little further down track, before his tires are smoking too.

3:53 p.m. Robert Hight s number one at 3.871 Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 12.042.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink