Fri, 18 Mar 2005, 04:49 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 36th annual MAC Tools NHRA Gatornationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Jim Sickles Runs 5.943/241.54, Now #2
Right Lane: Billy Gibson Runs 5.943/243.04, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 58 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 29.85 inches, adjusted altitude 143 feet, track temperature 58 degrees.

Both cars with clean passes.

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Left Lane: David Ray Runs 6.058/245.90, Now #4
Right Lane: Bobby Martin Runs 5.965/225.16, Now #3

Both cars are right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Tate Branch Runs 9.442/95.24, Now #6
Right Lane: Mick Snyder Runs 5.775/245.03, Now #1

Branch shook the tires and shut it off. Snyder was moving around, but stayed with it.

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Left Lane: Mark Billington Runs 5.831/250.41, Now #3
Right Lane: Cy Chesterman Runs 5.752/260.94, Now #1

Chesterman with a great looking run and he has a career best speed and the seventh best speed ever. Billington with his career best mph here.

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Left Lane: Danny Townsend Runs 6.921/142.60, Now #9
Right Lane: Vern Moats Runs 6.318/236.34, Now #8

Townsend was loose and clicked it early. Moats was on and off the throttle at least three time before he clicked off.

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Left Lane: Bob Newberry Runs 5.936/225.56, Now #5
Right Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 5.568/261.02, Now #1

Manzo with a great looking pass and that is the sixth fastest mph ever.

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Left Lane: Russell Mudd No Time, Now #14
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.574/260.04, Now #2

Mudd with a lot of problems staging and is timed out. Payne with a great looking pass for the number two spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink