Sat, 31 May 2003, 07:05 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Bob Orme

JOLIET, Ill. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Sixth annual Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 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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Right Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 4.860/298.60, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.348/137.75, Was #20

5:09 PM Current weather conditions: 56 degrees, 59 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.99 inches, with a track temperature of 82 degrees.

Cannon was mixing up the cylinders from 1000 feet through the finish but he was quick enough to make into the show for now.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.023/301.27, Now #19; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Keith Jackson Runs 4.983/299.86, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.805/176.05, Was #19

This was Jackson's first ever 4-second run and he still falls short of making the field. I couldn't see any problems with Creasy's car.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 4.855/315.34, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.119/148.25, Was #21
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 5.010/304.32, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.135/209.69, Was #20

Skuza dropped a couple cylinders at about 300 feet and had a hard time keeping the car off the centerline at half track. Pedregon was all over his lane on this pass, getting very close to the centerline at the finish.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.856/315.49, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.966/301.47, Was #17
Right Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 7.090/122.93, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.011/266.11, Was #20

Wyatt started hazing the tires at around 500 feet. He stayed on the throttle for a couple hundred more feet of tire haze before he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.880/307.72, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.912/302.48, Was #15
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.840/317.57, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.937/305.70, Was #17

Both drivers step it up a notch, and just in time. Pedregon is safely in the field, but Gray has to wait and see what Lawson and Karp do before he knows if he'll be racing on Sunday. This was Pedregon's quickest run of this season.

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Left Lane: John Lawson Runs 8.588/113.69, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.909/311.99, Was #16
Right Lane: Arnie Karp Runs 5.286/205.79, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.917/312.78, Was #17

Lawson smoked the tires at about 200 feet. He stayed on the throttle but couldn't get the tires to hook up. Karp was on a good looking pass until he lost the blower belt at about 1000 feet.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.880/271.84, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.849/314.46, Was #11
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.819/321.35, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.838/319.07, Was #8

Wilkerson's engine went silent at about 1200 feet. Capps produces a season best elapsed time and a career best speed on this pass.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.776/318.47, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.838/314.53, Was #9
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.773/322.88, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.829/312.71, Was #7

Worsham was mixing up the cylinders from 1000 feet through the finish. The pass is still quick enough to be a career best elapsed time. Densham was glued to him all the way down the track, making for a great looking drag race.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 9.697/81.20, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.830/312.71, Was #9
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 10.574/83.28, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.790/309.34, Was #6

Both cars lost traction before traveling 150 feet.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.776/325.69, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.792/323.27, Was #7
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.908/308.07, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.782/327.98, Was #5

Scelzi was mixing up the cylinders on the top end.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.721/325.30, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.750/321.27, Was #1
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.934/280.43, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.756/309.34, Was #2

Pedregon dropped a couple cylinders on the top end. That allowed him to watch teammate Force drive around him on his way to setting the national Funny Car elapsed time record.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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