Fri, 27 Oct 2023, 14:41 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Will Martin Runs 5.702/261.32, Now #1

11:19 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 29.97 inches, adjusted altitude 3,069 feet.

Martin makes a solid run to start the session.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.536/263.87, Now #1
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.549/257.38, Now #2

A good side-by-side here, both down the groove with clean, straight passes. Westerfield gets there first and takes the early pole with Whiteley falling in just behind in the second spot.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.676/208.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.683.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.656/206.57 mph, 1,000ft-4.681.

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Left Lane: Hunter Jones Runs 5.642/259.21, Now #4
Right Lane: Chris Marshall Runs 5.544/254.81, Now #2

Jones makes a decent pass to get in the fourth spot for now. Marshall goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the year to get in the second spot but the engine was putting out a little smoke as he went through the lights.

Hunter Jones' incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.530, 660ft-3.741/205.72 mph, 1,000ft-4.772.

Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.465, 660ft-3.653/208.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.671.

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Left Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.780/255.53, Now #6
Right Lane: Chip Beverett Runs 6.017/184.40, Now #7

Martin was drifting to the right late in the run and he may have been off of the throttle just a tick early. Beverett started moving to the left early in the run, got close to the centerline, and was off of the throttle about 1000 feet out.

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Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.571/262.28, Now #4
Right Lane: Ulf Leanders Runs 5.778/211.83, Now #7

Whiteley goes down the groove with a decent pass and gets in the fourth spot for now. Leanders gets to half track, smoke starts coming from the engine and he backs off of the throttle.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.552/261.72, Now #5
Right Lane: Bob McCosh Runs 5.476/264.44, Now #1

Hough heads to the left at the hit but he stays on the throttle and steers it back to the center of the groove. McCosh goes down the groove with the quickest pass of the round so far to take the top spot for now.

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.486, 660ft-3.676/209.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.691.

Bob McCosh's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.464, 660ft-3.635/211.10 mph, 1,000ft-4.631.

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Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.492/264.49, Now #2
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.507/265.43, Now #3

A good side-by-side, both down the groove with solid runs. Bellemeur gets in the second spot, Gordon right behind in the third spot, for now.

Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.948 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.637/210.44 mph, 1,000ft-4.640.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.478, 660ft-3.658/209.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.659.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink