Fri, 21 Oct 2005, 04:37 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fifth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Stephen Neese No Time, Now #2
Right Lane: David Benjamin Runs 14.486/87.97, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 28.46 inches, adjusted altitude 3,286 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Neese had problems getting the car to fire and is pushed of the track. Benjamin is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.699/174.39, Now #2
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 4.870/320.05, Now #1

Creasy with a lot of raw fuel coming out of the headers during the burnout and while he was staging. It cleared up when he launched and then he had problems around half track and clicked it off. Ashley had a little wiggle around half track and then no chutes after the finish line and almost got it stopped before the sand, but just put the nose into the sand.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.902/312.78, Now #2
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.998/304.80, Now #3

Head with a good looking pass. Haddock with a good pass until the car pitched off the blower belt.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 10.084/80.40, Now #6
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.019/244.78, Now #4

Pedregon with a explosion early in the run and sent the burst relief panel flying high into the air. Pedregon coasted on through the 1320. Densham slowed on the top end.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.839/318.77, Now #1
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.971/303.43, Now #4

Gilbertson with a great looking pass to start the weekend. Bartone with a clean pass.

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Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.915/298.67, Now #4
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.312/207.85, Now #8

Burkart with a good clean pass. Wilkerson was on a good pass until just past half track and then got out of the groove and real close to the wall.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.809/322.19, Now #1
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.890/313.44, Now #4

Cruz Pedregon with a great pass and one of his best passes in the last few races. Tony Pedregon with a good pass until right before the finish line where he got out of the groove and close to the wall.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.884/322.19, Now #5
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.879/318.32, Now #4

This was good side by side drag race.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.862/318.09, Now #3
Right Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 4.869/313.80, Now #4

Another good looking side by side drag race, getting a good base line for the weekend.

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Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.860/317.34, Now #3
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.866/318.09, Now #5

Another great side by side race until right in the lights when Hight had a quick flash of flames. Hight has oil in his lane.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.824/324.12, Now #2
Right Lane: John Force Runs 6.951/123.67, Now #19

Force was up in smoke by half track and clicked it off. Scelzi with a great pass, straight down the groove to go to the number two spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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