ST LOUIS - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

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Sat, 28 Jun 2003, 11:47 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual Sears Craftsman NHRA 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:

Left Lane: Vinny Arcadi Runs 8.669/84.39, Now #21; Best prior run: 9.094/92.45, Was #21
Right Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 5.439/229.08, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.825/191.97, Was #17

Current weather conditions: 78 degrees, 54 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.02 inches, with a track temperature of 95 degrees.

Wyatt launched hard and was on pretty good pass and then got out of the groove and real close to the centerline. The flames went out in the headers, not sure if he clicked it or lost a blower belt. Arcadi lost traction early and pedaled it a couple times before he clicked it off.

Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.052/295.21, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.467/150.48, Was #20
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 8.571/101.13, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.175/289.69, Was #15

Gilbertson started to lose traction early and was on and off the throttle at least three times before he shut it off. Creasy Jr with the header flames shooting high over the roof and a nice pass to get in the show.

Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.155/290.69, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.880/164.83, Was #20
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.962/305.49, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.111/269.29, Was #15

TJ with a good looking pass here with the candles lit all the way down the 1320. Haddock with his best pass of the season to get in the show and that bumped out Gilbertson.

Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 4.908/313.22, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.858/166.19, Was #20
Right Lane: Arnie Karp Runs 7.441/115.51, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.056/289.63, Was #14

Karp got out of the groove early in the run and started blistering the hides and got close to the centerline before he clicked it off. Pedregon launched hard and was straight down Broadway from the outside of the show to the number four spot with a real nice pass.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.426/193.13, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.088/296.05, Was #16
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 8.309/98.43, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.964/305.84, Was #12

Capps was up in smoke by about 330 feet and clicked it off. Worsham was on a nice pass and then got out of the groove and close to the wall before the car went silent and he coasted across the finish line.

Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.995/294.95, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.003/285.29, Was #13
Right Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 9.487/87.10, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.942/301.40, Was #8

Cannon lost traction early and clicked it off. Wilkerson was able to keep the Goodyears hooked up and the candles lit all the way down the quarter mile for his best pass of the weekend.

Left Lane: John Force Runs 5.335/244.47, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.959/297.22, Was #10
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.895/314.97, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.929/312.50, Was #7

Pedregon with a great launch and just keep on trucking for his best pass of the weekend for the number three spot. Force was trailing Pedregon all the way down the 1320 and clicked it off around 1200 feet.

Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 12.186/86.11, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.955/292.58, Was #9
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 5.546/184.93, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.913/316.01, Was #7

Gray was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and clicked it off. Scelzi was on a pretty good pass until just past half track and that is where he started hazing the the tires and clicked it off.

Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.901/314.31, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.909/314.31, Was #6
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.905/298.73, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.898/313.80, Was #4

Bazemore had some problems between rounds and made a few changes and was late getting the car warmed up. Looks like they got fixed whatever the problem was and this was a great side-by-side race here. Cruz with another good pass and he his having his best weekend of the season. This will be the highest he has started on Sunday this season.

Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 8.595/97.48, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.893/308.85, Was #2
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.858/311.13, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.889/316.97, Was #1

Skuza lost traction around 300 feet and clicked it off. Densham launched hard and keep the candle lit for the quickest pass of the weekend to stay number one. Densham will start Sunday from the number one spot for the second time this year and he will race Worsham. That wraps up qualifying and now for the we are ready for the Sunday night racing.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink