Sat, 28 Oct 2023, 23:10 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Revised notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals 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 No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.089/278.23, Was #15
Right Lane: Bobby Bode Runs 4.099/288.58, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.255/235.35, Was #17

4:56 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 29.83 inches, adjusted altitude 3,534 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Diehl 's run was DQ'ed for a technical violation. He goes through the lights, makes a move to the right, and gets very close to the wall in the shutdown area.

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Left Lane: Alex Laughlin Runs 3.998/317.64, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.040/302.96, Was #14
Right Lane: Steven Densham Runs 4.044/309.42, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.129/302.41, Was #17

Densham was just knocked out of the show and this is his last attempt to get back in. He does it, going right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend. Laughlin makes his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up to the 13th spot.

Alex Laughlin's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.302, 660ft-3.236/274.11 mph.

Steven Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.306, 660ft-3.261/269.24 mph.

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Left Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 7.306/95.90, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.948/323.50, Was #10
Right Lane: Chad Green Runs 3.888/324.75, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.953/321.73, Was #12

Alexander leaves the line, starts heading for the centerline, then gives up on the run about 300 feet out. Green goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up to the fifth spot.

Chad Green's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.239, 660ft-3.146/282.78 mph.

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Left Lane: Paul Lee Runs 3.955/313.00, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.915/323.97, Was #10
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 3.893/329.26, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.951/323.89, Was #12

Lee makes another good, consistent pass but he doesn't improve. Pedregon makes his quickest pass of the weekend and gets in the top half of the field in the sixth spot.

Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.878 sec., 330ft-2.258, 660ft-3.188/275.34 mph.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.247, 660ft-3.155/284.15 mph.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd No Time, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.909/329.58, Was #10
Right Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 6.257/116.00, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.902/300.26, Was #7

Todd's run was DQ'ed for a technical violation. DeJoria had traction problems at the same time and aborted the run.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 3.877/328.30, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.907/331.36, Was #9
Right Lane: John Force Runs 9.902/79.10, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.887/322.34, Was #4

Force hits the throttle, gets about 10 feet and goes up in smoke. Capps goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and he moves up to the fourth spot.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.234, 660ft-3.142/283.37 mph.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 7.049/92.26, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.907/332.18, Was #9
Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 4.216/216.48, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.871/322.58, Was #3

Wilkerson gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. Hagan was on a decent pass but had traction problems about 600 feet out and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III No Time, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.853/335.73, Was #2
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.875/327.19, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.851/327.51, Was #1

Tasca's run was DQ'ed for a technical violation.

Hight makes another good pass but was falling behind all the way through the run.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink