Sat, 22 Aug 2026, 12:32 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Reporter

BRAINERD, Minn. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 44th annual NHRA Brainerd 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: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.543/265.43, Now #5; Best prior run: 10.522/133.35, Was #13

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 30.11 inches, adjusted altitude 2,306 feet.

Westerfield gets it to hook up and goes to the number five spot.

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Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 6.092/182.18, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.598/260.91, Was #11
Right Lane: Jesse Clark Runs 5.595/259.56, Now #11; Best prior run: 10.139/87.11, Was #13

Whiteley clicked it off early and will start from the number 12 spot.

Clark is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend. He moves up the ladder a couple spots.

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Left Lane: Christine Foster Runs 5.515/264.49, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.585/261.47, Was #10
Right Lane: Steve Macklyn Runs 5.574/256.36, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.625/254.52, Was #13

Foster launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number two spot. She makes her quickest and fastest pass of the season. Christine Foster's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.481, 660ft-3.660/210.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.666.

Macklyn is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend. He moves up the ladder two spots.

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Left Lane: Jake Slater Runs 5.458/279.96, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.563/286.68, Was #8
Right Lane: Kyle Smith Runs 12.411/92.72, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.567/257.78, Was #10

Slater launched hard and kept it hooked up to the number one spot. Jake Slater's incremental times: 60ft-0.994 sec., 330ft-2.563, 660ft-3.724/218.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.671.

Smith shook and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Bob McCosh Runs 5.792/212.33, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.533/263.15, Was #6
Right Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.537/263.56, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.567/261.72, Was #9

McCosh got real loose around half track and clicked it off early.

Foster carries the front end for a 200 feet and sets it down. He powers on to his quickest pass of the weekend. He goes to the number seven spot.

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Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 14.483/72.28, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.529/262.64, Was #5
Right Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.513/266.69, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.543/263.51, Was #9

Bellemeur with severe tire shake right at the his and clicked it off.

Whiteley launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.675/211.79 mph, 1,000ft-4.671.

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Left Lane: Stan Sipos Runs 5.523/262.95, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.514/264.80, Was #3
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 11.256/74.46, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.523/264.34, Was #5

Sipos is straight down the groove with another good pass. He will stay in the number three spot. Stan Sipos' incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.492, 660ft-3.672/211.03 mph, 1,000ft-4.674.

Gordon shook and was out of the groove, before he clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink