Fri, Feb 26, 06:55 PM CHANDLER - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Larry Sullivan Cannon's First Fire - He's OK

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the 15th annual NHRA Checker Schuck's Kragen 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: Jim Epler Runs 7.482/116.19, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.092/295.21, Was #5
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 5.001/295.93, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.068/277.37, Was #4

04:01 PM Epler was on a good pass to 300 feet, but then lost traction. Toliver posted a career-best ET to move up the ladder on a nice run.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.853/311.20, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.189/194.23, Was #10
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 10.174/85.57, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.944/303.30, Was #1

Forces uses all that extra downforce on the new Mustang body to go straight down broadway, setting a new track ET record in the process.

Skuza was too aggressive at the start, he lifted the front wheels off the pavement twice trying to pedal his way down the right lane.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.158/227.27, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.964/296.18, Was #3
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.156/276.86, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.243/276.01, Was #9

Both drivers spin the centers out of the tires at the top end of the track, they both started to lose traction at the 1000-foot mark. Pedregon's entry lost a clyinder after that.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 9.486/82.14, Was #14
Right Lane: Scotty Cannon No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 10.039/92.67, Was #15

One of the comments Scotty Cannon has heard from the other Funny Car drivers is "Wait till you have your first fire." Cannon did a nice job of pedaling to save the run after a shaky start, but paid dearly when the motor let go

near the finish line. The car went off the end of the track out in the weeds past the finish line. Cannon is out of the car, and is OK, but the crew will have a lot or work to do before Round three tomorrow.

Pedregon had drifted over towards the finish line and took out the finish line cones, so neither run will count.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.043/253.33, Now #5; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Cory Lee Runs 6.056/98.27, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.056/293.03, Was #5

Worsham spun the tires at about the 900-foot mark, a small flash of flame followed. Lee showed the fans both sides of his Avenger as he smoked the tires coming off the concrete pad.

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Left Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 5.344/264.03, Now #11; Best prior run: 8.473/99.13, Was #14
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 7.361/117.87, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.102/285.83, Was #8

Both drivers do beautiful burnouts, the tire smoke gleaming and boiling in the late afternoon Arizona sun.

Densham double stepped at the starting line, upsetting the balance of the car. More of that Goodyear Tire smoke was a result.

Hoffmann dropped a cylinder or two on his run.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 5.016/299.53, Now #5; Best prior run: 7.087/118.78, Was #13
Right Lane: Randy Anderson Runs 5.362/266.69, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.672/178.24, Was #12

Bazemore pedaled once, then thundered down the left lane till the 1,000 foot mark. At that point his Camaro started spinning the tires, tell tale smoke coming out the back of his Funny Car. Anderson's dropped clyinders woes continue on his run, he lost a couple of holes at the top end of the track.

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Left Lane: Wyatt Radke No Time, Now #19; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Mitch McDowell Runs 5.313/262.03, Now #12; Best prior run: 16.932/79.53, Was #18

Radke backed up past the water box after his burnout, so McDowell will have a single. Mitch dropped a cylinder, then labored down the track to get into the top 16 for now. There was a flash of flame at the lights, so it looks like we'll have another cleanup before the next pair. 04:29 PM

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 5.219/287.35, Now #12; Best prior run: 10.416/82.24, Was #18
Right Lane: Al Segrini Runs 15.561/74.63, Now #19; No Prior Run

Segrini's Firebird blazed the tires instantly, a clutch malfunction of some kind very obvious. Pedregon's run was straight and clean, he spun the tires some at the top end of the track.










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