Fri, 04 Sep 2026, 16:31 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

INDIANAPOLIS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. 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: Kyle Smith Runs 11.086/76.03, Now #14; Best prior run: 10.566/99.70, Was #13
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.989/253.56, Now #6; Best prior run: 17.686/46.08, Was #15

4:08 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 93 degrees, relative humidity 53 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 4,101 feet.

Smith has traction problems and is off of the throttle early. Whiteley gets about 300 feet out and has problems.

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Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 11.906/64.41, Now #14; Best prior run: 10.240/82.68, Was #13
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 9.027/107.56, Now #12; Best prior run: 14.138/63.59, Was #15

Whiteley rattles the tires off of the line, gets about 200 feet out and clicks it off. Gordon had traction problems early, pedals once, then gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Mark Billington Runs 6.131/250.74, Now #7; Best prior run: 9.508/94.12, Was #13
Right Lane: Mick Steele Runs 6.162/243.02, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.017/139.11, Was #9

Billington shakes the tires early but pedals a couple of times and makes a full pass. Same story for Steele.

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Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 14.701/65.86, Now #12; Best prior run: 8.517/105.93, Was #12
Right Lane: Stan Sipos Runs 6.891/218.55, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.958/164.65, Was #10

Bellemeur strikes the tires at the hit and gives up on the run early. Sipos loses traction, pedals two or three times, then backs off of the throttle.

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Left Lane: Bob McCosh Runs 5.596/260.56, Now #2; Best prior run: 8.039/136.66, Was #11
Right Lane: Bruce Mullins Runs 9.482/98.45, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.754/246.26, Was #4

McCosh goes down the groove with a clean, straight pass and he moves up to the second spot.

Bob McCosh's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.513, 660ft-3.712/206.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.732.

Mullins has traction problems and is off of the throttle early.

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Left Lane: Phil Esz Runs 11.504/73.18, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.910/188.91, Was #11
Right Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.600/260.66, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.634/259.41, Was #4

Esz rattles the tires out of the gate and backs off of the throttle. Foster goes down the groove with a good run and he moves up a spot to third.

Chris Foster's incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.522, 660ft-3.720/206.92 mph, 1,000ft-4.738.

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Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.592/261.37, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.565/262.39, Was #1

Westerfield goes down the groove with the quickest pass of the round.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.518, 660ft-3.715/206.95 mph, 1,000ft-4.732.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink