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Sat, 16 Nov 2019, 19:57 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 5.167/147.10, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.736/94.98, Was #19

4:20 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 28.80 inches, adjusted altitude 3,284 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.

Matt Hagan is number one at 3.872 and J.R. Todd is on the bump spot at 4.815.

Campbell will start the final qualifying session of 2019. The Charger gets away well initially, but right at the 330 lights the slicks are loose and smoking. The backend steps out and he has to lift.

That's his best pass of the weekend, but misses the bump by a bunch.

Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.074/151.32, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.232/0.00, Was #18
Right Lane: John Hale Runs 4.345/221.05, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.255/142.91, Was #19

They run together to right after the 330 lights. Haddock's Mustang is way loose and makes a move towards the center line and he has to lift.

Hale gathers it up and finishes the run to bump into the field in the # 14 position.

John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.318, 660ft-3.335/238.47 mph.

Left Lane: Jonnie Lindberg Runs 4.394/304.12, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.783/186.30, Was #16
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.972/324.20, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.815/174.44, Was #17

2018 FC Champion, J.R. Todd, just got bumped out and Jonnie Lindberg is on the bump spot at 4.783.

A full pass for Todd this time and it's a good one to move him right up into he field in the #8 spot.

Lindberg was away first and a little quicker to after the 60 foot lights, but has to do a quick pedal slap to calm the slicks. He drives it on down to stay on the new bump spot, pushing Lee out.

Jonnie Lindberg's incremental times: 60ft-0.883 sec., 330ft-2.488, 660ft-3.577/246.17 mph.
J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.284, 660ft-3.219/276.01 mph.

Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.878/167.34, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.491/185.64, Was #17
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.895/330.55, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.199/233.03, Was #14

Hight finally gets the Camaro to the finish line with a representative pass. It's good enough to move him up 10 spots to #4.

Lee looked to be on a great pass too, but the Charger started a strong move towards the center line. He pumps and hits it again to have it get way loose again He just keeps it off of the wall. Sadly, he will end up 17th.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.236, 660ft-3.155/280.14 mph.

Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.270/212.53, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.039/319.22, Was #12
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 3.998/317.19, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.017/304.74, Was #11

Force's Camaro is really strong early, but gets loose just before the 330 lights.

A much better run for Alexander to stay #11.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.229, 660ft-3.227/231.48 mph.
Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.896 sec., 330ft-2.305, 660ft-3.237/276.13 mph.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.940/328.06, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.991/324.59, Was #10
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.291/215.00, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.967/320.28, Was #8

Capps gets a strong pass to the finish line and moves up three places to the top half of the field in the #7 spot.

Pedregon was pacing him to near the 660 lights and then shook the tires loose.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.261, 660ft-3.195/278.63 mph.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.271, 660ft-3.258/237.80 mph.

Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 3.876/332.43, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.949/326.16, Was #8
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.902/327.43, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.910/327.59, Was #5

Two full passes and Beckman powers right on down the track into the #2 spot with style.

Tasca's run was better by .008, but he gets bumped back a spot to #6.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.238, 660ft-3.143/285.71 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.238, 660ft-3.158/280.78 mph.

Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.924/322.65, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.918/323.97, Was #7
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.200/224.36, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.893/330.80, Was #4

Johnson makes a clean and strong pass to the finish line to stay #7.

Langdon was away first and quicker all the way to just before the 660 lights, where the header flames go out. He will stay #4.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.879 sec., 330ft-2.260, 660ft-3.176/280.78 mph.
Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.239, 660ft-3.202/244.43 mph.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.886/321.58, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.876/327.43, Was #3
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.904/329.26, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.872/333.58, Was #1

Last pair to qualify for 2019!

Wilkerson gets bragging this time, as he is away first, matches Hagan's 60 foot time, and then pulls steadily ahead to finish first.

Hagan makes another straight and strong pass to keep his second number one qualifier of the season and his 36th career overall.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.240, 660ft-3.143/284.62 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.252, 660ft-3.168/284.09 mph.

4:51 p.m. Jonnie Lindberg is on the bump spot at 4.394.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink