Sat, 3 Sep 2005, 06:43 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

CLERMONT, Ind. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals 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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Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 5.133/267.69, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.549/144.16, Was #22

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 29.72 inches, adjusted altitude 1,565 feet, track temperature 116 degrees.

Bode started hazing the tires just pass half track and drove through it. The car started hazing the tires again on the top end.

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Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.170/240.51, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.088/274.16, Was #20

Haddock with a clean pass until about 1000 feet and then started hazing the tires and hazed them through the lights.

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Left Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 5.373/264.34, Now #22; Best prior run: 10.251/90.06, Was #24
Right Lane: Paul Lee Runs 5.036/302.69, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.996/284.45, Was #17

Ashley was on a good looking pass until about half track and the his engine started eating itself up. Lee with a nice clean pass, a career best mph and his first pass over 300 mph. Apparently there is oil in Ashley's lane as the Safety Safari rolls.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 8.101/103.23, Now #24; Best prior run: 7.213/120.94, Was #24
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 6.859/124.58, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.896/309.63, Was #15

Creasy chattered the tires right off the starting line and clicked it off. Densham got to about 330 feet before he started smoking the tires.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.697/172.34, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.056/233.16, Was #19
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.887/317.49, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.842/322.58, Was #13

Pedregon started to haze the tires just pass half track and got off the throttle. Scelzi with just a whisp of tire smoke on the top end.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 5.802/166.54, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.979/239.74, Was #16
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.938/315.86, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.833/320.51, Was #11

Head with nice looking straight down the groove. Gilbertson started haze the tires around half track and then got out of the groove and over by the wall before he lifted.

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Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 5.011/278.98, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.852/317.79, Was #14
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.905/315.34, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.798/328.14, Was #7

Worsham was straight down the groove while his teammate was hazing the tires on the top end.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon No Time, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.837/321.88, Was #12
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore No Time, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.795/324.12, Was #6

Bazemore made his burnout, but Pedregon's car was not idling properly, interfering with the burnout, and his crew tried to adjust the throttle linkage. Crew chief Dickie Venables signaled a crew member to lift the body and as he did so, the body hit the throttle linkage, causing the RPMs to surge. That engaged the clutch and the car lurched forward, knocking Venables to the side. The car made a hard right turn, ending up atop the "A-boards" in front of the starter's box. Venables was shaken, but walked away under his own power after the medics checked him over. The starting line electronics were severely torn up and the car's chassis was bent, so Tony is without a car until the team can get a backup car ready and the race track is without a starting line for about 45 minutes. Bazemore was stopped when backing up from his burnout and pushed off the track. He will be the first car back out after repairing the starting line electronics.

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Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 5.701/173.56, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.795/324.12, Was #6

After a 45 minute delay and Bazemore is up in smoke right right before the finish line and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.888/315.93, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.811/310.84, Was #9
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 10.416/81.67, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.779/322.65, Was #5

Wilkerson is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off. Capps with a nice looking pass, but will stay in the number nine spot.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.903/317.79, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.767/313.22, Was #3
Right Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 4.849/317.79, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.775/322.73, Was #4

It is the teammates and it is a pretty good looking drag race here. Medlen was straight down the middle of the groove and runs the quickest pass of the session. Force with a good looking pass.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.924/316.08, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.748/325.77, Was #2
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.844/319.90, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.747/321.65, Was #1

To finish the session another good looking drag race with Hight running the quickest pass of the session, Johnson with a good clean pass.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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