Sat, Oct 10, 07:11 PM MEMPHIS - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session # 3

By Rick Green

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the 11th annual Pennzoil Nationals presented by AutoZone, 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: Frank Pedregon No Time Now #12, (Best prior run: 5.334/272.83 Was #12)
Right Lane: Bob Weickgenannt No Time Now #18, (Best prior run: 6.317/171.44 Was #18)

Pedregon starts to haze the tires and then around half-track really starts to mix up the cylinders. He then gets out of it. Weickgenannt starts to smoke the tires, pedals it one time and then starts heading toward the centerline. He collects the timing cones at the finishline, so his time will not count and Pedregon's will not either. For the record Weickgenannt ran a 5.307 at 257.03.

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Left Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 5.273/215.51 Now #11, (Best prior run: 10.564/ 82.30 Was #21)
Right Lane: Jim Epler Runs 5.451/206.54 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 5.152/306.12 Was # 7)

Hofmann loses traction and cylinders, getting the car sideways, yet still runs quick enough to make the show and bump out Jack Wyatt. No help for Epler.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham No Time Now #14, (Best prior run: 5.341/234.09 Was #14)
Right Lane: Vicky Fanning Runs 5.354/281.30 Now #15, (Best prior run: 5.480/245.05 Was #15)

Densham does not make the call, as they get ready to fire the engine and realize there is no oil in it. Fanning with the quickest pass of her career, but stays in the number 15 spot. With this pass she becomes the quickest female funny car driver in NHRA history.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.037/271.84 Now # 6, (Best prior run: 5.180/280.95 Was # 9)
Right Lane: John Force Runs 16.518/ 70.98 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 4.924/311.13 Was # 1)

Tony makes the big move here with a picture-perfect pass until around 1,000 feet,when he starts to haze the tires. Force is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and just blisters the big Goodyears.

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Left Lane: Tom Hoover Runs 5.310/244.78 Now #13, (Best prior run: 5.725/188.20 Was #18)
Right Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 5.623/251.95 Now #18, (Best prior run: 5.666/270.10 Was #17)

Hoover launches hard and starts to smoke the tires around half-track, but he pedals it and drives it into the show. Wyatt launches into big-time tire shake and does a great job driving through it, attempting to get in the show.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 23.490/ 66.17 Now # 3, (best prior run: 4.955/310.27 Was # 3)
Right Lane: Glenn Mikres Runs 5.184/266.06 Now #10, (Best prior run: 5.513/224.92 Was #17)

Bazemore is up in smoke when he hits the throttle. Mikres takes the "Hot and Juicy" team into the number 10 spot with the best pass of his career.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.988/279.21 Now # 6, (Best prior run: 5.179/281.83 Was # 9)
Right Lane: Chuck Etchells Runs 13.237/ 72.42 Now # 4, (Best prior run: 4.980/286.68 Was # 4)

Etchellls is up in smoke before he moves 60 feet. Wilkerson is really on a good pass until he starts mixing up the cylinders around 1000 feet.

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Left Lane: Keith Jackson Runs 5.792/186.90 Now #19, (Best prior run: 9.142/ 90.61 Was #21)
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.916/311.20 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 4.933/302.02 Was # 2)

Elvis moves down one spot as Cruz takes over the number one spot. You could just tell this was a great pass as you could see it keep accelerating all the way down track. Jackson with his best pass of the weekend is still way off pace to make the show.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy, Jr. No Time Now #12, (Best prior run: 5.208/275.34 Was #11)
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.075/295.98 Now # 8, (Best prior run: 5.298/268.44 Was #13)

Creasy shuts off after the burnout. Worsham's pass looked real quick and it was quick enough to move him up into the top half of the show.

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Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 9.045/ 87.40 Now # 9, (Best prior run: 5.118/286.56 Was # 9)
Right Lane: Randy Anderson Runs 5.454/258.67 Now #18, (Best prior run: 6.470/159.87 Was #21)

Skuza loses traction and smokes the tires around 200 feet. Anderson loses traction around half track and is completely off and then back on the throttle, but still does not make the show.

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Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.945/304.39 Now # 3, (Best prior run: 4.981/301.47 Was # 5)

Capps and the team with a new chassis after trying to launch the car to the moon last night. No wheelie bar. Capps takes the new ride straight down the quarter mile to the number three spot.




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