Sat, 05 Sep 2026, 11:29 AM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

INDIANAPOLIS - Notes from final, round 3 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:

---

Left Lane: Kyle Smith Runs 9.720/97.57, Now #14; Best prior run: 10.566/99.70, Was #15

11:07 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 73 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 3,128 feet.

Smith hit the throttle and lost traction. He pedaled, lost traction again, then gave up on the run.

---

Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.577/264.13, Now #2; Best prior run: 10.240/82.68, Was #15
Right Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.602/262.64, Now #5; Best prior run: 9.027/107.56, Was #13

Whiteley goes down the groove with a clean, straight pass and she moves up to the second spot for now. Gordon makes a good run and gets in the fifth spot for now.

Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.529, 660ft-3.718/208.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.726.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.985 sec., 330ft-2.539, 660ft-3.733/208.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.746.

---

Left Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.518/264.75, Now #1; Best prior run: 8.517/105.93, Was #14
Right Lane: Stan Sipos Runs 5.586/264.29, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.891/218.55, Was #12

Bellemeur is able to keep the slicks stuck on this pass and he goes all the way to the top spot for now. Sipos makes a full pass and moves up to the fourth spot.

Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.477, 660ft-3.662/209.36 mph, 1,000ft-4.668.

Stan Sipos' incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.534, 660ft-3.727/208.49 mph, 1,000ft-4.736.

---

Left Lane: Phil Esz Runs 5.650/253.18, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.910/188.91, Was #14
Right Lane: Mick Steele Runs 5.494/254.71, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.162/243.02, Was #13

A good side-by-side, both down the groove with good runs. Esz makes a full pass but was falling behind all the way through the run. Steele makes the quickest pass of the weekend and moves into the top spot for now.

Phil Esz's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.511, 660ft-3.719/203.61 mph, 1,000ft-4.763.

Mick Steele's incremental times: 60ft-0.977 sec., 330ft-2.505, 660ft-3.646/218.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.626.

---

Left Lane: Mark Billington Runs 5.693/258.96, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.131/250.74, Was #14
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.616/259.86, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.989/253.56, Was #13

Another good side-by-side, both down the groove with full runs. Billington improves and moves up to the 12th spot. Whiteley moves up to ninth.

Mark Billington's incremental times: 60ft-0.990 sec., 330ft-2.573, 660ft-3.792/204.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.824.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.541, 660ft-3.738/207.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.754.

---

Left Lane: Tony Bogolo Runs 5.693/256.60, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.764/253.95, Was #14
Right Lane: Bruce Mullins Runs 5.761/251.34, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.754/246.26, Was #13

Bogolo makes another good run and moves up to the 13th spot. Mullins slows from his previous attempt.

---

Left Lane: Christine Foster Runs 5.631/261.07, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.622/256.21, Was #10
Right Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.550/264.03, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.600/260.66, Was #7

Christine makes another good pass but doesn't improve. Chris makes a good run and moves up to the third spot.

Christine Foster's incremental times: 60ft-1.001 sec., 330ft-2.556, 660ft-3.750/207.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.770.

Chris Foster's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.689/208.75 mph, 1,000ft-4.698.

---

Left Lane: Bob McCosh Runs 5.552/261.62, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.596/260.56, Was #7
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 5.569/262.90, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.565/262.39, Was #4

A good side-by-side to end the session, both down the groove with clean passes. McCosh improves and moves up to the fourth spot. Westerfield slows and drops a spot to fifth.

Bob McCosh's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.492, 660ft-3.679/208.84 mph, 1,000ft-4.692.

Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.981 sec., 330ft-2.515, 660ft-3.703/209.17 mph, 1,000ft-4.713.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink