CONCORD, N.C. — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — John Davison photo —
Alexis DeJoria was the star of third round qualifying for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series on Saturday afternoon at zMAX Dragway, racing to the provisional pole in Funny Car with one session remaining before Sunday’s seventh annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals presented by Lowes Foods.
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) retained the qualifying leads in their respective classes.
DeJoria went out in the final quad and immediately blistered Matt Hagan’s track ET record from Friday afternoon, going down the track in 3.939 seconds at 316.52 miles per hour in her Tequila Patron Toyota Camry to jump from fifth in the Friday ladder to the top of the board. The result earned her three bonus points as the quickest driver in class during the session.
“Fast” Jack Beckman had a monster run as well, moving from 15th to third with a 3.964 at 319.45 in the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing.
“I think that made us the most improved Funny Car — what did we pick up, eight and a half seconds between run one and then that one?” quipped Beckman, who nabbed two bonus points in Q3 with the second-fastest run. “We needed that one because we’re not going to get runs in each lane, so you’re going to want lane choice. You’re going to want to be an upper-half car, and I like our chances (of accomplishing that) right now.”
Robert Hight jumped up 11 spots, from 16th to fifth, when he ran a 3.974 at 319.37 during the opening pair in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro. Hight earned a single point as the third-fastest run of the session.
With one round of drills remaining, Tommy Johnson Jr. is on the bubble in 16th (8.761 at 86.46) after not getting a clean run down the track in either Q1 or Q3.
Jeff Diehl and Dale Creasy Jr. are the cars currently out of the Funny Car field.
No one in Top Fuel could best Steve Torrence’s pole run of 3.736 at 326.48 from Friday qualifying, but championship leader Brittany Force did pick up the maximum three bonus points as the fastest dragster of the session.
Force, who had been bumped out of the No. 2 position by Doug Kalitta one quad prior, returned to the runner-up spot she held from Friday with a run of 3.751 at 318.77.
“The confidence is up there for me and the entire Monster Energy team,” said Force. “We got our first win and now we want more. This is a great way to roll on in qualifying, and we’ll see if we can’t get that last little bit in the last session.”
Kalitta (3.752 at 325.92) and reigning world champion Antron Brown (3.762 at 322.58) rounded out the session’s top three runs, with the duo moving to third and fourth, respectively, on the overall ladder.
KB Racing continued their roll in Pro Stock as Greg Anderson’s class-leading 6.577 at 209.65 run from Friday remained the pole time, but the squad swept the Q3 bonus points as well, with Bo Butner leading the way on a run of 6.584 at 210.47.
Anderson was second with a 6.587 at 210.73, just a hundredth of a second off his Friday time, and Jason Line ended up third in the round (6.596 at 210.87) and remained fourth overall.
The hotly-contested Pro Stock Motorcycle class saw a couple of big Q3 runs as well, led by Matt Smith’s 6.832 at 195.76 aboard the Victory Racing/NitroFish entry, jumping him to second overall and earning three bonus points as fastest in session.
Current fast qualifier Eddie Krawiec earned two bonus points as the session runner-up, while Angelle Sampey clocked a 6.837 at 194.46 to slot in at third overall and in Q3.
Final round qualifying for the Pro classes is set to roll just after 4 p.m. ET.
RESULTS: NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series; Seventh Annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals; Third Round Qualifying; zMAX Dragway; April 23, 2016
Top Fuel
- Brittany Force, 3.751 (318.77) — was second, returns to P2
- Doug Kalitta, 3.752 (325.92) — was fifth, now P3
- Antron Brown, 3.762 (322.58) — was fourth, returns to P4
- Steve Torrence, 3.778 (319.90)
- Richie Crampton, 3.788 (307.65) — was 10th, now P5
- Clay Millican, 3.802 (319.75) — was 11th, now P6
- Tony Schumacher, 3.811 (307.51) — was seventh, now P7
- Shawn Langdon, 3.820 (314.90) — was ninth, now P8
- Terry McMillen, 3.827 (311.77)
- Leah Pritchett, 3.828 (316.67)
- J.R. Todd, 3.954 (269.40)
- Scott Palmer, 3.989 (258.81)
- Pat Dakin, 4.388 (177.35)
- Chris Karamesines, 4.546 (175.62)
- Terry Haddock, 5.655 (118.36)
- Smax Smith, NT (0.00)
Funny Car
- Alexis DeJoria, 3.939 (316.52) — was fifth, now P1 overall
- Jack Beckman, 3.964 (319.45) — was 15th, now P3 overall
- Robert Hight, 3.974 (319.37) — was 16th, now P5 overall
-
Del Worsham, 3.983 (312.35) — was 12th, now P6 overall
- Chad Head, 3.987 (312.93)
- Tim Wilkerson, 3.996 (318.02)
- John Force, 4.002 (316.82)
- Courtney Force, 4.056 (311.99)
- Ron Capps, 4.059 (306.19)
- John Hale, 4.094 (309.91)
- Bob Tasca III, 4.103 (312.42)
- Matt Hagan, 4.118 (301.07)
- Daniel Wilkerson, 4.125 (283.67)
- Dave Richards, 6.776 (100.24)
- Cruz Pedregon, 8.898 (83.30)
- Jeff Diehl, 9.128 (149.71)
- Tommy Johnson Jr., 10.743 (85.18)
- Dale Creasy Jr., 12.661 (63.09)
Pro Stock
- Bo Butner, 6.584 (210.47) — was sixth, now P3 overall
- Greg Anderson, 6.587 (210.73)
- Jason Line, 6.596 (210.87)
- Alex Laughlin, 6.620 (208.36)
- Chris McGaha, 6.630 (208.75)
- Allen Johnson, 6.638 (208.65)
- Shane Gray, 6.644 (209.17)
- Kenny Delco, 6.665 (208.04)
- Jeg Coughlin Jr., 6.670 (207.62)
- V. Gaines, 6.671 (206.99)
- Erica Enders-Stevens, 6.685 (208.14)
- Deric Kramer, 6.734 (205.85)
- John Gaydosh, 6.777 (204.88)
- Shane Tucker, 6.877 (198.88) — P12 overall
- Drew Skillman, NT (0.00)
- Vincent Nobile, NT (0.00)
Pro Stock Motorcycles
- Matt Smith, 6.832 (195.76) — was 11th, now P2 overall
- Eddie Krawiec, 6.836 (195.90)
- Angelle Sampey, 6.837 (194.46) — was fourth, now P3 overall
- Chip Ellis, 6.843 (194.10)
- Scotty Pollacheck, 6.875 (193.88)
- Karen Stoffer, 6.880 (195.17)
- L.E. Tonglet, 6.894 (193.52)
- Andrew Hines, 6.894 (191.65)
- Jerry Savoie, 6.907 (195.45)
- Hector Arana, 6.909 (194.46)
- Shawn Gann, 6.925 (194.16)
- Michael Ray, 6.939 (193.07)
- Brian Pretzel, 6.940 (194.32)
- Angie Smith, 6.951 (188.46)
- Jimmy Underdahl, 6.962 (191.21)
- Mike Berry, 6.964 (192.06)
- Cory Reed, 6.977, (188.83)
- David Hope, 6.978 (189.68)
- Katie Sullivan, 6.989 (191.95)
- Joe DeSantis, 7.033 (191.54)
- Hector Arana Jr., 7.082 (191.62)
- Lance Bonham, 7.225 (186.56)
- Melissa Surber, 11.176 (73.44)
- Steve Johnson, 11.675 (66.98)
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
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