Fri, 11 Nov 2022, 16:42 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 57th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.067/306.40, Now #1
Right Lane: Steven Densham Runs 9.399/68.77, Now #2

1:05 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 20 percent, barometer 30.06 inches, adjusted altitude 1,809 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Densham's Mustang spins the tires hard at the green and gets completely sideways before he gets it back under control.

Arend runs a season best ET on a clean and straight pass into the field.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.325, 660ft-3.288/268.76 mph.

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Left Lane: Jason Rupert No Time, Now #4
Right Lane: Bobby Bode Runs 4.829/159.44, Now #2

Rupert does his burnout and coasts on down the track and will not get a time.

Bode waits patiently and leaves well, but starts to move towards the wall after the 330 foot lights and he wisely lifts.

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Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 4.250/225.00, Now #2

Haddock decided not to run the first session, so Lee will get a single.

Lee leaves well runs hard and runs well to near the 660 lights, where the tires get loose and he has to lift.

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Left Lane: Chad Green Runs 7.919/66.37, Now #5
Right Lane: Jim Campbell Runs 4.014/315.19, Now #1

Dunn's Charger is sporting the classic black and white " Moon Equiped" theme this weekend. Campbell takes it right on down the track and just misses a three second pass.

Green is away first, but shakes the tires loose before the 330 lights.

Jim Campbell's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.292, 660ft-3.242/270.37 mph.

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Left Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 3.919/322.11, Now #2
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.840/322.58, Now #1

We finally get a pair to get full passes!

Pedregon gets a big leave off the line and pull steadily ahead to run the first three second pass on the session and take the current top spot.

ALexander ran hard right behind him for the #2 spot.

Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.247, 660ft-3.168/279.67 mph.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.207, 660ft-3.102/287.90 mph.

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Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 3.897/328.38, Now #3
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 3.894/330.07, Now #2

Another strong pair and Wilkerson gets a small starting line advantage and stays out in front to the finish line on a fast pass. The first 330 MPH run of the weekend.

DeJoria runs strong and straight to the finish line too.

Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.878 sec., 330ft-2.239, 660ft-3.156/282.13 mph.
Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.249, 660ft-3.158/285.11 mph.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.917/329.26, Now #5
Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.906/326.24, Now #4

They run just 0.001 apart at the green and run side by side to the finish line.

Tasca slots into the #4 spot and Todd the #5.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.893/330.55, Now #2
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.199/220.66, Now #10

Hagan gets a huge starting line advantage, but is slowing before the 660 lights.

Force runs straight and strong to the finish line after a terrible light and slots into the #2 spot for now.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.241, 660ft-3.154/282.24 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec., 330ft-2.231, 660ft-3.188/243.55 mph.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.897/156.43, Now #13
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 7.538/85.87, Now #14

The session ends with two broken runs.

Hight is away first and kicks the slicks loose first.

Capps was second to leave, got a little further, and has the tires loose and spinning too.

1:33 p.m. Cruz Pedregon is number one at 3.840 and field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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