Thu, 06 Feb 2020, 17:47 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 60th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 16.174/49.24, Now #2
Right Lane: Mike Doushgounian Runs 5.805/208.52, Now #1

2:01 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 65 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 28.93 inches, adjusted altitude 1,875 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Two broken passes!

Wernhart's Camaro plays bucking bronco off the line and he lifts.

Doushgounian looked to be on a strong pass until just before the 1000 foot lights, where his Camaro disappeared into a wall of smoke behind the car.

Mike Doushgounian's incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.489, 660ft-3.686/205.22 mph, 1,000ft-4.788.

2:02 p.m. Looks like there is oil in the right lane and the scrubber and sweepers head out for the top end.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin No Time, Now #4
Right Lane: Aryan Rochon Runs 5.930/224.40, Now #2

2:15 p.m. Back to qualifying!

Martin breaks on the burnout and pulls over to the wall and jumps out!

Rochon runs to near the lights before lifting.

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Left Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 6.089/171.21, Now #3
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 6.111/171.73, Now #4

Leander's "push car" is an early 60's Chevy Nova Orange Station Wagon with a surfboard on the roof!

His Camaro leaves well and runs right behind Ruckman to near the finish line where the engine gets unhappy and starts to leave a cloud of smoke.

Ruckman is coasting early too for no apparent reason.

2:21 p.m. Time for more Dusting and Cleaning on the top end, in the right lane again!

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 9.073/92.73, Now #6
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.445/269.83, Now #1

2:32 p.m. Back to qualifying [again]! Gordon's Camaro is sporting a new red and black Beta Motorcycles wrap! Very nice!

He is away first by a bunch and makes another strong pass right to the top of the ladder.

Payne's Camaro was a little weak early and is coasting right after that.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.453, 660ft-3.622/212.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.611.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.477/270.05, Now #2
Right Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.595/259.71, Now #3

Westerfield just misses the green by -0.004 and then runs strong to the finish line to capture the final number two spot.

Hough runs right behind Westerfield to the top end and ends up in the third spot.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.479, 660ft-3.652/212.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.643.
Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.511, 660ft-3.705/206.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.728.

2:39 p.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink