Sat, 19 Mar 2005, 07:13 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from final, round 2 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 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: Bobby Martindale Runs 9.576/90.94, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jeff McCulloch Runs 6.181/225.00, Now #11; No Prior Run

Martindale has tire shake and clicks it off. McCulloch drives it on through to go to the number 11 spot.

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Left Lane: Vern Moats Runs 5.697/252.80, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.318/236.34, Was #12
Right Lane: Tate Branch Runs 5.564/257.58, Now #1; Best prior run: 9.442/95.24, Was #14

Branch launched hard and keep it hooked up for a career best E.T. and mph run. Tate Branch's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.468, 660ft-3.667/206.32mph, 1,000ft-4.691

Moats with a nice looking pass to get in the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: Bobby Martin Runs 5.788/225.96, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.965/225.16, Was #11
Right Lane: Jim Sickles Runs 5.818/242.32, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.943/241.54, Was #10

Martin with a great looking pass until right before the finish line when the engine let go with a quick flash of flames. Sickles with nice pass to get in the top half of the show.

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Left Lane: Mick Snyder Runs 5.650/250.83, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.775/245.03, Was #6
Right Lane: David Ray Runs 5.650/253.87, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.058/245.90, Was #12

Weather conditions: air temperature 65 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 29.93 inches, adjusted altitude 582 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.

These two were side-by-side all the way down the 1320.

Mick Snyder's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.482, 660ft-3.705/202.70mph, 1,000ft-4.756
David Ray's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.502, 660ft-3.709/203.80mph, 1,000ft-4.764

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Left Lane: Cy Chesterman Runs 5.560/259.81, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.752/260.94, Was #7
Right Lane: Bob Newberry Runs 5.664/255.82, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.936/225.56, Was #11

Chesterman with great looking pass straight down Broadway for the number one spot. Cy Chesterman's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.478, 660ft-3.675/207.23mph, 1,000ft-4.695

Newberry with a nice looking pass here.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 7.742/118.63, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.574/260.04, Was #4
Right Lane: Danny Townsend Runs 5.796/248.13, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.921/142.60, Was #14

Payne made a quick move toward the centerline and when he cranked it back into his lane the right header scraped the track. Townsend with a nice pass .

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Left Lane: Billy Gibson Runs 10.690/69.13, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.943/243.04, Was #13
Right Lane: Mark Billington Runs 5.773/252.88, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.831/250.41, Was #12

Gibson make a quick move toward the centerline and reeled it back in and clicked it off. Billington with a career best E.T. and mph pass here.

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Left Lane: Frank Manzo Runs 5.523/260.94, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.568/261.02, Was #3

Manzo with a career best E.T. pass to go to the number one spot and this is the third quickest pass in Top Alcohol Funny Car history. Frank Manzo's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.460, 660ft-3.646/208.81mph, 1,000ft-4.663 He will get bye in morning.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink