Thu, 09 Oct 2025, 17:46 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Mark Billington Runs 5.572/262.22, Now #1
Right Lane: Stan Sipos Runs 5.636/261.38, Now #2

4:25 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 30.13 inches, adjusted altitude 2,791 feet.

Billington was moving around a little early in the run but stayed on the throttle and made a good pass.

Mark Billington's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.503, 660ft-3.695/207.95 mph, 1,000ft-4.712.

Sipos was moving around more than Billington but kept it in the groove and made a decent run.

Stan Sipos' incremental times: 60ft-0.975 sec., 330ft-2.543, 660ft-3.748/207.28 mph, 1,000ft-4.773.

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Left Lane: Christine Foster Runs 5.795/254.83, Now #3
Right Lane: Chris Foster Runs 8.434/118.19, Now #4

Foster gets about 100 feet out and has to pedal. She gets back on the throttle and makes a decent run.

Foster rattles the tires and backs off of the throttle about 150 feet out.

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Left Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.505/265.35, Now #2
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.490/264.71, Now #1

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

Whiteley takes the top spot for now, Westerfield just behind in the second spot.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.472, 660ft-3.650/210.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.655.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.632/211.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.639.

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Left Lane: Chip Beverett Runs 13.847/57.69, Now #8
Right Lane: Phil Esz Runs 5.586/259.76, Now #4

Beverett has traction problems early in the run and backs off of the throttle.

Esz makes a clean, straight pass and gets in the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Bob McCosh Runs 5.556/264.52, Now #4
Right Lane: Madison Gordon Runs 5.547/266.08, Now #3

McCosh makes a decent pass and gets in the fourth spot for now.

Gordon goes down the roove and gets in the third spot for now.

Bob McCosh's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.513, 660ft-3.694/209.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.703.

Madison Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.511, 660ft-3.692/210.89 mph, 1,000ft-4.699.

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Left Lane: Brian Hough Runs 5.505/265.52, Now #2
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 8.177/111.40, Now #10

Hough makes a good pass and gets in the second spot to end this session.

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.464, 660ft-3.647/210.18 mph, 1,000ft-4.654.

Bellemeur was on a decent pass but lost traction about 300 feet out and had to give up on the run.