Fri, 29 Sep 2000, 09:12 PM TOPEKA - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Bob Orme A tie at the top (sorta)

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the 12th annual Advance Auto Parts 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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Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 5.093/301.60, Now #11; No Prior Run

7:06 PM Phil Burkart opens the second round of Funny Car qualifying with a solo pass. He lost traction at 200', pedaled it once, and got the car hooked up again.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 5.056/299.00, Now #8; No Prior Run
Right Lane: John Lawson Runs 5.267/259.41, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.056/126.92, Was #19

Lawson drove very close to the retaining wall from half track to the finish line. Smoke was billowing from the car at the finish, and he had to be towed from the shutdown area.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.958/292.96, Now #1; Best prior run: 12.166/72.90, Was #23
Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 12.205/71.39, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.233/276.35, Was #15

Creasy had severe tire shake for the first 60' and he had to lift. Wilkerson made a picture-perfect pass, no problems until the finish line where he started dropping cylinders.

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Left Lane: Cory Lee Runs 6.376/162.25, Now #21; Best prior run: 12.054/70.29, Was #23
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.927/303.64, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.143/222.91, Was #15

Lee's engine was laboring from the hit and he shut it down at the half track cones. Pedregon motored straight down Broadway, a very pretty run.

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Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 5.891/158.69, Now #21; Best prior run: 10.888/83.08, Was #23
Right Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 4.973/293.35, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.098/283.85, Was #15

Skuza got out of the groove at half track, was off the throttle at 900'. No problems for Cannon, the candles were lit all the way down the track.

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Left Lane: Jim Epler Runs 10.082/81.59, Now #23; Best prior run: 6.761/113.35, Was #23
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 5.018/297.48, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.082/286.13, Was #14

Epler was up in amoke at the 100' mark. Toliver's pass looked better than the time would indicate, with no apparent problems anywhere.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.229/277.66, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.331/266.21, Was #18
Right Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 11.358/84.98, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.076/288.27, Was #14

Hofmann blew the tires off on the launch and he clicked it off. Johnson lost traction at 100', pedaled it once, got it hooked up, and was dropping cylinders through the traps.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.905/300.73, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.018/288.83, Was #9
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 8.522/96.09, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.057/289.57, Was #13

Densham was up in smoke and drifting toward the wall at 200' out. Capps made a beautiful pass to move into the number one position for now.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.903/307.23, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.013/292.96, Was #8
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.091/286.74, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.042/288.52, Was #11

Worsham was out of shape from 330' to half track, the car moving all over the lane. Force moves to the top of the heap for now with a very pretty pass.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 5.033/302.28, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.987/301.47, Was #8
Right Lane: Cristen Powell Runs 8.387/92.10, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.035/278.52, Was #10

Powell got the front end up twice before losing traction and she shut it off. There were no apparent problems with Bazemore's car.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 4.903/301.20, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.971/282.60, Was #5
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 5.874/160.02, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.973/289.38, Was #7

Sarver smoked the tires at half track and he aborted the run. Pedregon runs the same ET as pole sitter John Force, with Force retaining the number one position by virtue of having the faster speed between the two. That brings this round to a close with Tommy Johnson Jr. in the sixteenth position.




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