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Sat, 09 Feb 2019, 16:55 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 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:

Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 7.831/84.45, Now #14; Best prior run: 12.042/80.25, Was #16

1:16 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 61 degrees, relative humidity 51 percent, barometer 28.88 inches, adjusted altitude 1,786 feet, track temperature 82 degrees.

Robert Hight is number one at 3.871 and Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 12.042.

Diehl continues to struggle with getting the power to the ground. The Camry leaves hard, but kicks the slicks loose about 150 feet out. He coasts on down with a slightly better time and moves off the bump for now to #14.

Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 4.012/310.05, Now #9; Best prior run: 8.840/73.65, Was #16

Frank Pedregon is on the bump spot at 8.840.

Pedregon leaves hard and then uses a lot of track getting to the finish line. The Camry initially made as steady move toward the center line and he straightened it out. The engine drops a cylinder down track and pushes him towards the wall this time. He is able to finish the pass and moves up off of the bump to move up to the number nine spot. That gives him a modern career best ET and Speed.

Frank Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.310, 660ft-3.251/275.56 mph.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.954/328.22, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.930/328.14, Was #5
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 5.200/149.23, Now #15; Best prior run: 8.584/79.12, Was #16

Phil Burkart is on the bump spot at 8.584.

Pedregon gets away first and runs close to yesterday's best to stay number five on a clean pass.

Burkhart continues to struggle and is loose before the 330 lights and coasting.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.273, 660ft-3.207/277.66 mph.

Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.932/156.75, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.927/325.77, Was #3
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 8.389/81.63, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.024/315.78, Was #10

Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 7.831.

Two broken runs as both cars overpower the track early.

Campbell is costing first, quickly followed by Langdon.

Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 8.860/81.30, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.940/319.98, Was #6
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 7.717/86.88, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.915/304.87, Was #2

Dueling hit the pedal and shake hard. Neither car got much past the 60 foot lights.

Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.072/310.48, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.241/303.78, Was #14
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.242/217.81, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.101/330.23, Was #12

A clean pas for Densham to move two spots up the ladder to number twelve.

Force started to pull away early, but was off the pedal before the 660 lights.

Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.312, 660ft-3.288/264.86 mph.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.388/119.72, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.120/251.95, Was #14
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 8.296/82.73, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.044/253.37, Was #11

Both of these drivers are usually in the top half of the field by this point in the weekend.

Another pair of broken runs. Beckman is loose early and coasting. He gets just past the finish line and has the blower go BANG and knock open the burst panel.

Wilkerson has his own weirdness, as the Mustang has a strong leave, starts to just shake the tires, and then kicks chute out around the 330 lights!

Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.909/326.79, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.971/323.19, Was #8
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.939/318.92, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.944/316.52, Was #7

Much better!

They leave within 0.001 of each other and run together right to the finish line.

Hagan get to the lights first and moves six spots up the ladder to the number two spot on a great looking pass.

Tasca is just a tad better that yesterday's ET and speed, but will stay #7 for now.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.242, 660ft-3.165/280.84 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.248, 660ft-3.180/275.90 mph.

Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.904/327.03, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.929/314.61, Was #5
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.111/232.07, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.871/329.67, Was #1

Johnson is away first and makes a clean pass right on dow to the finish line and takes over the #2 spot with ease.

Hight has better numbers to right at the 660 lights, where the Camaro started to slow.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.000 sec., 330ft-2.242, 660ft-3.159/280.66 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.215, 660ft-3.151/255.43 mph.

1:50 p.m. Jeff Diehl is on the bump spot at 7.831.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink