Fri, 5 Oct 2001, 04:31 PM READING - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the 17th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals presented by Greased Lightning listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.970/164.11, Now #1

Haddock had a cylinder out on the left side right off the starting line. He then made a move toward the wall and pedaled it. There was a quick flash of flame from underneath the car around half track.

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Left Lane: John Lawson Runs 5.126/289.45, Now #1
Right Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 5.176/288.83, Now #2

Both cars launched hard and these runs looked quicker than they were, a couple of good clean passes.

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Left Lane: Chuck Etchells Runs 4.915/302.48, Now #1
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 14.005/67.21, Now #5

Toliver was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Etchells kept the tires stuck and the cylinders lit all the way through the quarter-mile.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 5.034/293.03, Now #3
Right Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 4.971/298.01, Now #2

Cannon sporting a new paint job this weekend it looks like the new dread lock hair do cap of Oakleys . No problems for either team and good baseline passes.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.927/295.79, Now #3
Right Lane: Jim Epler Runs 4.896/305.01, Now #1

Epler launched hard and kept it right in the groove, but had a whisp of tire smoke on the top end in a pretty good looking pass. Gilbertson also on a good run.

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Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 4.944/304.74, Now #5
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.909/307.79, Now #2

Skuza got out of the groove and over close to the wall around half track, but kept his foot in it. Densham had a quick flash of flame right before the finish line.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.894/295.79, Now #1
Right Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 10.016/80.55, Now #12

Tommy with a good looking pass but started to spin the tires on the top end. Pedregon was up in smoke by 100 feet.

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Left Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 8.643/92.22, Now #13
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.866/305.91, Now #1

Sarver shook the tires hard right off the starting line, pedaled it once and then smoked the tires. Pedregon is using one of Force's bodies after hitting the wall last weekend in Joliet, right into the number one spot.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 11.035/77.40, Now #16
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.906/312.13, Now #4

Capps blistered the tires around 200 feet. Worsham with a good looking pass straight and true right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore No Time, Now #19
Right Lane: John Force Runs 6.978/115.04, Now #14

Bazemore started to haze the tires around 330 feet and clicked it off. Force got out of the groove and close to the centerline and then collected the 1000-foot cone.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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