Fri, 15 Nov 2019, 16:29 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Steven Densham Runs 4.129/289.57, Now #1
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 7.358/92.44, Now #2

12:53 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 28.91 inches, adjusted altitude 2,485 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

This is Steve Densham's second race at The Big Show. He has years of experience in the Nostalgia Fully Car Series.

Densham's engine has a hole out at the green and then has the engine go pop right near the lights.

Arend was second off the line and has his Monte Carlo kick the slicks loose right after that.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.491/185.64, Now #3
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 4.017/304.74, Now #1

Two strong leaves and they run together down the track.

Lee's Chargers starts a strong move towards the center line and he has to lift right around the 660 lights.

Alexander's Mustang was moving towards the centerline too and he stays with to the lights. He has to jerk it back into his lane after that.

Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.314, 660ft-3.253/276.75 mph.

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Left Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 8.518/75.09, Now #6
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 8.051/83.37, Now #5

Jim Dunn's Charger is sporting the Ol' School Mooneyes electric yellow wrap this weekend. No sign of Kinji-san though!

Two hard leaves and two up in smoke passes. Lindberg first, quickly followed by Campbell.

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Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.206/110.26, Now #4

It is reported that Eric Lane is moving to Pedregon's team.

Pedregon has the Charger leave hard and them is coasting before the 330 lights.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 6.997/109.79, Now #6
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 6.277/107.32, Now #5

Two attempts and two broken runs.

Langdon is away first and quicker to sixty feet. Wilkerson shakes the tires loose about 100 feet out and is quickly followed by Langdon.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.922/158.80, Now #4
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 6.020/112.21, Now #5

Another two make strong leaves and are coasting before the 330 lights.

The track temperature and weather conditions have confounded the tuners, so far.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.229/219.76, Now #3
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 6.117/109.91, Now #7

Only one car quicker than 4.12, so far!

Tasca joins the leave and dump crowd, as the tires are loose early.

Capps looked to be on a great pass until about the 660 lights, where the engine goes silent and he is coasting.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.185/292.65, Now #4
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.900/331.36, Now #1

Well, at least one crew chief has figured out the track! Hagan leaves hard and keeps the tires stuck all the way to the finish line . He moves right into the top spot with the first three second pass of the session. A huge 331.36 MPH speed to cap off the run.

Force was away first and ran well to near the 660 light, where the Camaro moved hard towards the center line and he had to struggle to keep it in his lane.John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.267, 660ft-3.340/242.36 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec., 330ft-2.235, 660ft-3.162/280.66 mph.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.949/326.16, Now #2
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.879/158.59, Now #8

Beckman must have has a tune up close to Hagan's, as his Charger powers right on down the other lane to take over the #2 spot.

Hight was quicker at the green, at 60 feet, and at the 330 lights, but is in trouble right after that!

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.879 sec., 330ft-2.259, 660ft-3.200/275.90 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.253, 660ft-3.480/176.60 mph.

1:24 p.m. Jim Campbell is on the bump spot at 8.051.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink