Sat, 30 Sep 2000, 06:20 PM TOPEKA - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Bob Orme The field is set

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from final, round 4 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: Dean Skuza Runs 10.440/79.44, Now #23; Best prior run: 5.891/158.69, Was #23

4:37 PM Dean Skuza opens the fourth and final round of Funny Car qualifying with a solo pass. Skuza lost traction at 100', pedaled it, and the car then got almost sideways before he clicked it off. That will end his weekend sooner than he wanted.

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Left Lane: Vicky Fanning Runs 9.876/79.89, Now #22; Best prior run: 5.790/264.03, Was #22

Fanning left good, but was up in smoke at 200'.

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Left Lane: Cory Lee Runs 5.190/277.60, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.233/294.11, Was #19
Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.388/281.36, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.233/276.35, Was #20

Lee improved, but not enough to make the field for tomorrow. He drifted toward the wall on the top end of the track and was smoking the tires at the finish. Creasy struck the tires at 200', enough of a set back to send him home.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.287/278.40, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.229/277.66, Was #19
Right Lane: John Lawson Runs 12.403/82.81, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.218/276.92, Was #18

Lawson was up in smoke immediately. Johnson hazed the tires at 300' and that was all that was needed to prevent him from qualifying.

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Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 5.294/286.25, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.093/301.60, Was #16
Right Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 9.492/87.44, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.076/288.27, Was #15

It was all smoke for Hofmann at the 300' mark. Burkart was able to drive through some minor traction trouble early on.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.979/294.18, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.987/301.47, Was #10
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 8.596/94.78, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.043/288.83, Was #13

Densham got out of the groove very early and he took out the 330' timing cone before he shut it off. Bazemore has an excellent run, moving up a couple steps on the ladder.

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Left Lane: Jim Epler Runs 4.996/288.95, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.983/297.94, Was #9
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.984/303.43, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.028/290.76, Was #12

Both cars had the candles lit all the way down the track, but only Worsham moves up the ladder.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 11.875/70.43, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.958/292.96, Was #5
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 10.965/69.62, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.018/297.48, Was #12

Both cars shut off at the same time, about 200' out, Wilkerson due to tire smoke, Toliver due to tire shake.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.038/294.50, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.905/300.73, Was #3
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 5.171/286.74, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.973/289.38, Was #7

Both cars were skating around a bit, and it shows in the elapsed times.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 4.999/294.95, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.903/301.20, Was #2
Right Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 9.870/80.73, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.973/293.35, Was #6

Cannon had severe tire shake on the launch, then smoked the tires at 300'.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.853/299.46, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.903/307.23, Was #1
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.796/164.75, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.927/303.64, Was #4

The Castrol Mustangs are the final pair of Funny Cars in this round of qualifying. Force, with a flash from the rear of the car at the finish, runs the low ET of the weekend. Tony was on a good pass until he hazed the tires at half track. Force will face Phil Burkart, the number sixteen qualifier, in the first round of eliminations tomorrow.




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