Sat, 14 Oct 2023, 16:23 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals 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: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.015/309.32, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.171/248.22, Was #15
Right Lane: Alex Laughlin Runs 4.025/315.06, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.039/304.88, Was #14

2:51 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 30.12 inches, adjusted altitude 1,354 feet, track temperature 100 degrees.

Diehl goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and he moved up to the 14th spot in the order. Laughlin looked like he put out a cylinder late in the run, the car made a move to the right after the finish line and he got close to the wall. He improves but drops a spot as Diehl goes around him.

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Left Lane: Chad Green Runs 3.861/332.37, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.928/328.80, Was #10
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.817/162.40, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.879/328.37, Was #5

Green goes down the groove with a career best ET and speed to move up to the fourth spot for now. Hight gets about 300 feet out, hazes the tires, then gives up on the run.

Chad Green's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.233, 660ft-3.131/289.11 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.132/263.96, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.012/311.66, Was #13
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.906/326.73, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.930/295.10, Was #11

Haddock puts out a cylinder early in the run and he starts drifting to the left. He gets close to the wall about 700 feet out and is out of the throttle a little early. Todd goes down the groove with a good pass and moves up a couple of spots in the order.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.725/166.22, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.884/317.80, Was #8
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 8.709/91.05, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.912/321.13, Was #10

Wilkerson gets about 400 feet out, strikes the tires and backs off of the throttle. Alexander gets about 50 feet out, goes up in smoke and gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.395/194.23, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.881/327.61, Was #7
Right Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 4.233/261.02, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.345/219.60, Was #16

Pedregon gets about 500 feet out, strikes the tires and makes a move to the right.

Wyatt gets out of the groove late in the run and gets close to the wall near the finish line. He makes his quickest pass of the weekend but stays on the bump spot.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.858/326.51, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.871/325.71, Was #5
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 3.955/318.72, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.986/266.00, Was #12

Force goes down the groove with the quickest pass of the round so far and he moves up a spot to fourth.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.220, 660ft-3.118/287.32 mph.

Lee makes his quickest pass of the weekend but he stays in the 12th spot.

Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.260, 660ft-3.196/277.03 mph.

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Left Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 3.959/267.48, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.848/319.24, Was #2
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 4.242/218.13, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.920/314.51, Was #11

Hagan gets about 700 feet out, hazes the tires and backs off of the throttle. DeJoria loses traction about 600 feet out and she gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 3.851/333.46, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.822/335.55, Was #1
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.894/328.80, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.851/333.95, Was #3

A good side-by-side here, both down the groove with clean, solid passes.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.226, 660ft-3.125/288.76 mph.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.881 sec., 330ft-2.245, 660ft-3.156/285.81 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink