Sat, 13 Nov 2021, 20:40 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session |
By Dave Gerard |
POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 56th 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:
Left Lane: Chris Morel Runs 4.225/276.52, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.823/123.93, Was #19
Right Lane: Jason Rupert No Time, Now #20; Best prior run: 19.986/32.74, Was #20
4:38 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 18 percent, barometer 30.01 inches, adjusted altitude 3,011 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.
Height is
number one at 3.94. Alex Miladinovich is on the bump spot at 4.734.
Rupert's engine has no
throttle and can't do the burn out. He clicks off the engine.
Morel gets his first good pass
of the weekend to bump into the field in #14 for now.
Chris Morel's incremental times:
60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.360, 660ft-3.390/253.14 mph.
Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.375/203.49, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.130/155.01, Was #19
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.963/326.71, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.978/154.23, Was #18
Tim Wilkerson is on the bump spot at 4.346.
Like Force in TF, Todd comes to the line in the final session outside the field. No worries, as the Camry power down the track and into the current top half of the field in the #7 spot. Nice!
Densham's issues continue, with the header flames are up and down off the line and he will not qualify.
J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.890 sec., 330ft-2.279, 660ft-3.213/277.49 mph.
Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.990/316.23, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.346/221.09, Was #17
Right Lane: Alex Miladinovich Runs 4.213/256.84, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.734/206.67, Was #18
Paul Lee is on the bump spot at 4.308.
Wilkerson finally gets his full pass and moves into the field on a safe pass to the #10 position.
Miladinovich makes a careen best ET pass to move on to the bump for now.
Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.253, 660ft-3.216/268.17 mph.
Alex Miladinovich's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.333/250.27 mph.
Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 3.920/327.43, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.308/217.49, Was #18
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 4.155/267.22, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.138/273.83, Was #15
Alex Miladinovich is on the bump spot at 4.213.
Lee stages in #1 and crosses the finish line in #3. Great looking pass for the team.
Campbell can't improve, but stays in the field in the final bump spot of the year.
Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.255, 660ft-3.176/280.49 mph.
Jim Campbell's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.321, 660ft-3.313/261.27 mph.
Left Lane: Bobby Bode No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.057/310.70, Was #14
Haddock decides not to run the final session, so Bode will make a single pass.
The idle is set a little too high and he initially can't get the Mustang into reverse. The crew pushes the butterflies closed enough to drop the RPM and get the car into the reverse.
The car makes a strong leave with the front wheels in the air. It starts a steady push towards the wall and just flattens the headers down track to DQ the pass.
4:51 p.m. Time out to check for any stuff on the track.
Left Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 5.705/130.92, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.031/314.24, Was #13
Right Lane: Chad Green Runs 4.056/317.19, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.002/315.19, Was #12
5:00 p.m. Back to qualifying!
Green has a hard leave and then does a quick pedal slap before powering too the finish line. He loses a little ET and picks up a little speed to stay #12.
Diehl was away first, but couldn't match Green's pace. He is off the pedal right after the 330 lights, after leaving a trail of fuel on the track.
Chad Green's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.310, 660ft-3.281/266.37 mph.
Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.979/272.34, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.939/321.96, Was #5
Right Lane: Tony Jurado Runs 4.257/205.66, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.988/316.08, Was #10
Pedregon was on a very strong pass, but is off the throttle early and coasting.
Jurado is off the throttle before the 660 lights and won''t improve either.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.243, 660ft-3.161/281.60 mph.
Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.084/293.47, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.939/328.14, Was #4
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.229/225.71, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.975/318.24, Was #9
No joy for either team!
Force's Camaro looks lazy going down the track and slows. Force jumps out of the roof hatch and helps the Safety Safari lift the the body,as there is a lot of smoke from underneath the car. They are greeted some fire and a lot of oil.
Tasca was running right with Force until around the 660 foot light and he lifts early.
5:08 p.m. Time for dusting and cleaning.
Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.124/143.87, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.908/329.83, Was #2
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.045/263.87, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.956/319.75, Was #7
5:20 p.m. Top two in the points come to the line.
No joy for either team!
They run together early with similar incrementals until near the 660 foot light, where Capp's is coasting first. Hagen gets a little further and he is done too.
If nothing changes with the final pair, these two could meet in round two tomorrow.
Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.886/329.34, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.894/330.55, Was #1
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.919/326.32, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.954/318.92, Was #6
Final pair to qualify in 2021! Two great passes to end the day.
DeJoria makes her quickest and fastest pass of the weekend to move three spots up the ladder to the final #3 position on a great looking pass. This will not change the Capps/Hagan possible round two match up.
Hight saves the best for last with the header flames way up over the top of the Camaro's roof flying down the track to ensure his number one qualifying spot!
This is Hight's 71st number one spot, with three in 2021!
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.239, 660ft-3.147/283.85 mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.257, 660ft-3.175/282.36 mph.
5:32 p.m.
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