Fri, 15 Nov 2019, 19:57 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals 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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Right Lane: Tyson Parker Runs 6.444/166.05, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.664/160.38, Was #12

4:33 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.87 inches, adjusted altitude 2,535 feet, track temperature 77 degrees.

Sean Bellemeur 5.436 Field not filled, no bump spot.

Clean leave and a strong pass for most of the run for Parker. Right after the 660 lights, the back of the car starts to hop around and he wisely lifts. He still moves two spots up the ladder to #10.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin Runs 10.830/76.95, Now #13; Best prior run: 8.649/155.17, Was #13
Right Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 7.603/87.18, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.446/169.64, Was #11

Two broken runs.

Martin gets away first, shakes the tires, and then has the blower go bang.

Marshall gets a little further before the shake and does a quick pedal slap. The car starts to "porpoise" and eventually gets all four wheels off the ground before he gives it up.

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Left Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.897/198.61, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.548/149.20, Was #12
Right Lane: Hunter Jones Runs 9.454/93.72, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.804/253.90, Was #9

Ruckman makes a full pass this time and moves two spots up the ladder to #10.

Jones' Monte Carlo was loose early and he had to dump.

Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.553, 660ft-3.761/206.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.831.

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Left Lane: Bret Williamson Runs 7.111/135.20, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.667/254.42, Was #8
Right Lane: Mike Doushgounian Runs 5.603/261.62, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.620/255.43, Was #7

Williamson has a good leave, but the Corvette makes a steady move towards the centerline and finally has to give it up right at the 660 lights.

Doushgounian has his hands full down track too, but hangs on for a better ET and a lot more speed.

Mike Doushgounian's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.519, 660ft-3.722/206.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.743.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.462/268.49, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.498/268.92, Was #4
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 8.722/118.37, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.543/264.65, Was #6

Westerfield makes a clean and strong pass right on down the track to run close to his best prior time.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 13.321/78.68, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.496/264.44, Was #4
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 10.039/85.96, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.538/258.67, Was #5

Two more strong leaves that are too stout for the track.

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Left Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 13.184/71.23, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.440/267.75, Was #2
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 10.516/81.15, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.436/269.62, Was #1

And we end qualifying with a whimper, rather than a roar!

Both cars are loose right off the line and coasting.

4:51 p.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink