Sat, 23 Feb 2019, 17:05 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 35th annual Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Arizona Nationals 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: Blake Alexander Runs 4.035/270.54, Now #2; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 55 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 1,133 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Alexander with his own team now and back in a Funny car makes and good clean pass. He clicks it off early and goes to the number two spot. He still runs his career quickest pass. Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.262, 660ft-3.207/266.27 mph.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 7.886/85.05, Now #7; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.925/167.03, Now #3; No Prior Run

Densham was up in smoke early and clicked it off.

Haddock started mixing up cylinders and clicked it off just past half track.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.882/327.27, Now #1; Best prior run: 11.093/75.62, Was #12
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 5.004/151.54, Now #5; No Prior Run

Hight launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot with a great looking pass. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.225, 660ft-3.141/282.54 mph.

Campbell's engine went silent just before half track and he coasted on down track. He still goes to the number five spot.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.895/324.44, Now #2; Best prior run: 10.476/107.95, Was #13
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.911/321.35, Now #3; Best prior run: 17.429/64.43, Was #17

This was a great looking side-by-side drag race.

Wilkerson kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number two spot. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.248, 660ft-3.155/284.81 mph.

Todd was right there with him to go to the number three spot. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.239, 660ft-3.160/278.46 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.940/325.30, Now #4; Best prior run: 9.571/76.33, Was #14
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.960/326.32, Now #6; Best prior run: 16.328/55.04, Was #17

A couple more good looking passes.

Langdon was straight down the groove to the number four spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.250, 660ft-3.187/276.92 mph.

Pedregon had it hitting on all eight to go to the number six spot. Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.285, 660ft-3.215/276.97 mph.

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Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 5.843/118.17, Now #12; Best prior run: 8.646/77.08, Was #15
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.951/315.49, Now #6; Best prior run: 16.256/65.28, Was #17

Diehl started to haze the tires and pedaled it, but couldn't get it to hook up and he clicked it off.

Capps was straight down the groove with a good clean pass to get into the top half of the show. Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.241, 660ft-3.184/272.28 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.933/322.81, Now #4; Best prior run: 8.205/80.36, Was #16
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 11.509/79.04, Now #17; Best prior run: 16.055/72.63, Was #17

Tasca and the team found that they broke a cross bar underneath the driver seat this morning so the crew brought out a brand new chassis. They got it prepared and this was the first pass with the new car. Tasca kept the candles lit all the way down the track to go to the number four spot. Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.253, 660ft-3.179/278.40 mph.

Burkart was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.911/326.95, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.880/114.73, Was #14
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 8.115/88.46, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.594/107.30, Was #15

Johnson Jr. was straight down the groove with a good looking pass to go to the number three spot. Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.249, 660ft-3.165/280.89 mph.

Beckman with severe tire shake right at the hit and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.900/327.82, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.942/321.50, Was #7
Right Lane: John Force Runs 3.950/321.27, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.447/140.33, Was #13

Hagan running the Sandvik colors this weekend. He launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number three spot. Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.235, 660ft-3.156/280.60 mph.

Force runs straight down the groove to the number eight spot. John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.267, 660ft-3.200/277.77 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink