Funny Car: Champ contenders aren't laughing

Melanie Troxel talks to the media after zooming to the top of the Funny Car qualifying chart on Friday.

Friday's qualifying session was a laughing matter for the five contenders for the Funny Car title.
All five struggled, with leader Cruz Pedregon and Jack Beckman still on the outside looking in. Both have yet to qualify for the 16-car field after both smoked the tires before the 330-foot mark.
Second-place Tim Wilkerson and No. 3 Robert High also smoked the tires and dropped to 10th and seventh, respectively. Tony Pedregon, who won the title last season, but is fourth coming into this weekend's event, was on a decent run before drifting to the center and knocking out the final timing cone, which disqualified his run.
"Just when you think you got these cars figured out and know how to take them where you want to go, they go where they want to go," Pedregon said. "I just tried to get it to 1,000 feet."
The leaders' struggles left the door open for nitro coupe rookie Melanie Troxel, who took the top spot with 4.105 run at 304.25 mph.
Troxel also made it known who she hopes wins the championship.
"I hope I can race Cruz in the first round and take him out and get the title for Tim Wilkerson. "You just want to see Tim win it, because he's been so conistent all year. But Cruz is hot right now, and that's what you have to do in this new format."