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Brown, Force Hood, and Edwards Lead Bristol Day One Qualifying
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Ashley Force Hood earned the provisional pole in Funny Car on the first day of qualifying Friday at the 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals with a 4.151-second pass at 296.70 mph.
The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 12th of 23 races in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock).
The No. 1 qualifier would be the second this season for the 27-year old Force Hood, who is in fifth place in the Funny Car point standings, and the 11th of her career.
“It’s always fun to run good on the Friday night session, but we all know that it won’t do us any good on Sunday other than position,” said Force Hood, who pilots the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. “The conditions are not going to be anything like tonight. It’s fun to run in the night session and do well, but we’d be just as happy if we can get some good runs (Saturday) in the heat because that’s what’s going to help us on Sunday.”
Two-time world champion Cruz Pedregon and the Snap-on Tools team, who have struggled most of the season, are in second position with a 4.158.
Brown secured the provisional No. 1 with a 3.856-second pass at 314.24 mph in his Matco Tools dragster. It would be his fourth if this season, tying him with Cory McClenathan for most in Top Fuel.
“We just want to keep on doing well and carry it into raceday,” Brown said. “We thought it was a mid-80 (track) and we nailed it. She went right down there, tiptoed right down there, no trouble at all.”
In Pro Stock, defending NHRA Full Throttle Series champion Edwards earned the provisional No. 1 with a 6.725-second pass at 204.94 mph in his Penhall/Interstate Batteries Pontiac GXP. This would be Edwards’ 10th No. 1 in the season’s first 12 races.
Local favorite Allen Johnson was on top of the qualifying ladder after his first-session 6.742 in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger, but he was unable to improve on that that in the evening session and slipped to fourth.
“I think that battles between our team and A.J. for the No. 1 spot are what you’re going to see more often in the races to come,” Edwards said. “If Allen and Roy Johnson haven’t caught us, they certainly have closed the gap. A couple of other teams are gaining on us too, and I think that by the Countdown that there will be about four or five other cars that we’re going to have to contend with.”
Qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals concludes with the third and fourth sessions on Saturday when the fields will be set for Sunday’s final eliminations.
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Results Friday after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, 12th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Antron Brown, 3.856 seconds, 314.24 mph; 2. Cory McClenathan, 3.879, 313.51; 3. Larry Dixon, 3.882, 311.77; 4. Brandon Bernstein, 3.901, 308.64; 5. Bob Vandergriff, 3.912, 310.91; 6. Tony Schumacher, 3.939, 311.77; 7. David Grubnic, 3.941, 306.19; 8. Terry McMillen, 3.964, 299.13; 9. Shawn Langdon, 3.964, 298.34; 10. Steve Torrence, 3.974, 301.47; 11. Doug Herbert, 3.994, 291.95; 12. Troy Buff, 4.071, 290.13.
Not Qualified: 13. Terry Haddock, 4.090, 284.09; 14. Pat Dakin, 4.251, 223.47; 15. Morgan Lucas, 4.336, 223.58; 16. Doug Kalitta, 4.698, 176.72.
Funny Car -- 1. Ashley Force Hood, Ford Mustang, 4.151, 296.70; 2. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, 4.159, 291.38; 3. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.185, 292.58; 4. Del Worsham, Solara, 4.186, 300.80; 5. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.199, 297.35; 6. John Force, Mustang, 4.216, 297.55; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.238, 283.67; 8. Melanie Troxel, Charger, 4.239, 289.26; 9. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.244, 284.45; 10. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.250, 252.33; 11. Paul Lee, Chevy Impala SS, 4.321, 275.34; 12. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.326, 252.33.
Not Qualified: 13. Tony Pedregon, 4.340, 269.29; 14. Jim Head, 4.475, 204.45; 15. Jeff Arend, 4.560, 195.85.
Pro Stock -- 1. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 6.725, 204.94; 2. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.735, 204.39; 3. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.736, 204.32; 4. Allen Johnson, Dodge Avenger, 6.742, 204.73; 5. Johnny Gray, GXP, 6.757, 204.08; 6. Shane Gray, GXP, 6.757, 203.80; 7. Vinnie Deceglie, Avenger, 6.760, 204.39; 8. Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.761, 203.83; 9. Rickie Jones, GXP, 6.767, 204.11; 10. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.769, 203.55; 11. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.772, 202.94; 12. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.775, 204.35.
Not Qualified: 13. V. Gaines, 6.780, 203.16; 14. Bob Yonke, 6.781, 202.76; 15. Greg Stanfield, 6.784, 202.88; 16. Warren Johnson, 6.796, 203.98; 17. Jason Line, 6.800, 203.06; 18. John Nobile, 6.816, 201.85; 19. Justin Humphreys, 6.826, 202.15; 20. Robert Patrick, 6.878, 200.74; 21. John Gaydosh Jr, 7.097, 194.46.
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