Sat, 12 Oct 2002, 04:35 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session |
By Dave Rowe |
ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 17th annual O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec 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: Cy Chesterman Runs 7.562/123.94, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.790/249.30, Was #12
Right Lane: Bob Alberty Runs 6.084/237.84, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.157/237.46, Was #20
2:54 PM Chesterman gets to about half-track and loses the blower belt. Alberty makes his quickest run of the weekend but still doesn't make the show.
Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.686/254.95, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.845/251.25, Was #13
Right Lane: Steve Gasparrelli Runs 5.772/251.60, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.671/254.02, Was #3
Gasparrelli gets out of the groove, makes a move to the right, back to the left and gets close to the center-line. He stays with and makes a decent pass. Payne went right down the groove but doesn't improve.
Left Lane: Von Smith Runs 5.706/253.87, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.644/254.95, Was #1
Right Lane: Mert Littlefield Runs 5.795/245.23, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.767/243.83, Was #8
Not much to say here, both cars right down the groove.
Left Lane: Jimmy Jones Runs 5.897/243.77, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.986/241.80, Was #15
Right Lane: Kebin Kinsley Runs 5.990/232.43, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.049/231.48, Was #19
Kinsley makes his best pass of the weekend and gets in on the bump spot. Jones improves but doesn't move up in the field.
Left Lane: Bernie Harrington Runs 6.077/241.09, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.041/225.11, Was #19
Right Lane: John Patton Runs 5.853/244.63, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.778/248.27, Was #11
Harrington shakes the tires and starts moving around. He drives through it but can't improve.
Left Lane: Steve Griboski Runs 5.976/237.71, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.006/237.09, Was #17
Right Lane: Vern Moats Runs 5.808/247.38, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.740/250.06, Was #5
Griboski goes right down the groove and gets in the show on the bump spot. Moats makes another good pass but doesn't improve.
Left Lane: Tate Branch Runs 5.741/247.72, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.776/246.64, Was #10
Right Lane: Steve Harker Runs 5.801/250.55, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.781/251.11, Was #12
Branch improves and moves up four spots to sixth. Harker makes a clean pass but slows from his earlier run.
Left Lane: Kirk Williams Runs 5.886/247.72, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.768/251.25, Was #10
Right Lane: Marc White Runs 5.797/248.13, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.749/249.58, Was #7
Williams moves around a little early in the run but gets it back in the groove for a decent pass. White makes his third run in the 5.70's but doesn't improve.
Left Lane: Thomas Frickenschmidt Runs 6.122/234.61, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.165/228.94, Was #21
Right Lane: Dennis Taylor Runs 5.938/241.35, Now #16; Best prior run: 9.043/86.46, Was #23
Taylor makes a good pass, gets in at the 16th spot and bumps out Griboski. Frickenschmidt makes his quickest pass of the weekend but still isn't close to making the field.
Right Lane: Jason Rupert Runs 13.810/55.45, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.028/244.83, Was #19
Rupert hit the throttle, rattles the tires and has to abort the run.
Right Lane: Bob Newberry Runs 5.697/252.17, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.660/253.09, Was #2
Newberry goes right down the groove and makes another good pass.
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