Fri, 07 Feb 2020, 20:28 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, 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:

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Left Lane: Hannes Wernhart Runs 12.644/63.11, Now #10; Best prior run: 16.174/49.24, Was #10
Right Lane: Mike Doushgounian Runs 5.804/255.63, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.805/208.52, Was #7

5:10 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 39 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,318 feet, track temperature 79 degrees.

Doug Gordon is number one at 5.432 and Field not filled, no bump spot.

Wernhart continues to struggle and is coasting early again.

Doushgounian is just 0.001 quicker that his first pass, but a bunch faster to stay #7.

Mike Doushgounian's incremental times: 60ft-1.023 sec., 330ft-2.656, 660ft-3.878/203.06 mph, 1,000ft-4.923.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.602/261.32, Now #7; Best prior run: 7.220/135.71, Was #9
Right Lane: Aryan Rochon Runs 5.593/262.69, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.542/259.36, Was #5

Martin makes a much better pass this time, but only moves two positions up the ladder.

Rochon deep staged and it costs him some ET. He basically repeats his prior best to stay #5.

Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.520, 660ft-3.718/207.56 mph, 1,000ft-4.740.
Aryan Rochon's incremental times: 60ft-0.989 sec., 330ft-2.529, 660ft-3.722/208.68 mph, 1,000ft-4.735.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.505/259.91, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.676/142.75, Was #9
Right Lane: Brian Hough Runs 6.692/141.68, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.497/265.95, Was #4

Hough was on another great pass and then moved hard towards the center line and he had to lift.

Payne gets a full pass this time and moves four spots up the ladder to number five. Nice pass.

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.461, 660ft-3.639/211.56 mph, 1,000ft-4.648.

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Left Lane: Terry Ruckman Runs 6.603/147.47, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.543/232.75, Was #7
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 10.869/101.25, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.452/265.85, Was #3

Two broken passes.

Leanders leaves with a twelve light and then has the Camaro move hard towards the center line.

Ruckman sticks the slicks at the green to post a 0.933 sixty foot time, but his Camaro drifts towards the wall down track and he has to lift too.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 13.614/60.41, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.436/270.32, Was #2
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.479/269.46, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.432/268.33, Was #1

Westerfield misses the tree by just -0.002 and then is coasting before the 330 lights.

Gordon play bracket racer with another great pass. 5.445, 5.432, and 5.479! He stays number one and will likely have a big advantage over the field in eliminations tomorrow!

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.474, 660ft-3.651/211.53 mph, 1,000ft-4.644.

5:24 p.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink