Thu, 06 Feb 2020, 20:05 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

---

Left Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.452/265.85, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.111/171.73, Was #7
Right Lane: Ray Martin Runs 7.220/135.71, Now #8; No Prior Run

4:39 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 2,171 feet, track temperature 75 degrees.

Doug Gordon is number one at 5.445. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Leanders had the car wandering around the lane down track, but still moves five spots up the ladder to the #2 position on a strong pass.

Martin had a strong leave and lifts early.

Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.431, 660ft-3.603/211.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.604.

---

Left Lane: Aryan Rochon Runs 5.542/259.36, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.930/224.40, Was #6
Right Lane: Hannes Wernhart No Time, Now #10; Best prior run: 16.174/49.24, Was #10

Wernhart has problems before staging and is pushed away!

Rochon continues to improve and runs a career best ET to move up two spots to #4. Nice!

Aryan Rochon's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.479, 660ft-3.669/208.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.683.

---

Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 6.676/142.75, Now #8; Best prior run: 9.073/92.73, Was #9

Doushgounian is a no show!

Strong leave for Payne, but he is off the pedal and coasting before half track.

---

Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.497/265.95, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.595/259.71, Was #5
Right Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 5.543/232.75, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.089/171.21, Was #7

This would have been a great race.

They left close together and ran close together all the way to right after the 1000 foot lights, where Ruckman had a big blower "bang". He was 0.020 quicker at 1000 feet!

Both drivers improve a spot. Ruckman still goes from seven to six.

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.469, 660ft-3.648/210.67 mph, 1,000ft-4.650.
Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.635/212.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.630.

---

Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.432/268.33, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.445/269.83, Was #1
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.436/270.32, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.477/270.05, Was #3

Another pair of great passes to wrap up qualifying for today!

Stellar 0.009 light for Westerfield and a quicker and faster pass to move up a spot to #2. He was just 0.004 behind Gordon in the lights! Faster too!

Gordon was already #1 coming into the session and holds off a charging Westerfield by running his best ET of the day to keep the spot.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.932 sec., 330ft-2.438, 660ft-3.603/212.90 mph, 1,000ft-4.593.
Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.449, 660ft-3.615/213.27 mph, 1,000ft-4.602.

4:59 p.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink