Sat, 19 Mar 2005, 06:29 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 36th annual MAC Tools NHRA Gatornationals 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: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.034/286.80, Now #14; Best prior run: 9.120/89.17, Was #20
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 8.123/132.56, Now #20; Best prior run: 8.213/103.60, Was #19

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 46 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 859 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

Burkart is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and the POWERade points leader is not going to get into the show. Creasy Jr. starts to lose traction on the top end and loses the blower belt, but still gets in the show and that bumps out Densham.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.887/311.63, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.411/201.20, Was #16
Right Lane: Frank Pedregon No Time, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.662/126.58, Was #19

Pedregon could not get the car to start and he will not make the show with the Don Garlits tribute car. Gilbertson with a great looking pass to get into the top half of the show. That will put Bazemore on the bubble.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 7.773/112.57, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.014/259.14, Was #14
Right Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 8.505/84.68, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.654/190.15, Was #18

Wyatt loses traction first and Wilkerson is up in smoke right behind him. Wilkerson will stay 14th and Wyatt will not make the show.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 6.123/145.41, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.967/302.41, Was #13
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.191/220.26, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.508/283.46, Was #17

Head got out of the groove and close to the centerline and started to lose traction and clicked it off. Densham was on a good looking pass until about 800 feet and then he got out of the groove and close to the wall and had to lift.

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Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.862/313.26, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.155/268.65, Was #16

Bazemore with nice pass, he was able to keep the candles lit and the Goodyears stuck all the way down the 1320. Bazemore moves into the top half of the show.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.131/227.38, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.902/321.65, Was #11
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.749/325.96, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.948/255.89, Was #13

Hight with a great looking pass and he goes to the number one spot. Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.286, 660ft-3.260/260.94mph, 1,000ft-4.063.

Capps starts to lose traction just before half track and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.846/304.15, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.834/313.91, Was #5
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 5.530/180.54, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.887/304.56, Was #11

Pedregon started to get out of the groove and close the centerline, but stayed with it for a nice looking pass. Arend made a quick move toward the centerline and had to pedal it to keep it in his lane and then shut it off.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.891/312.60, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.815/310.77, Was #4
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.824/320.17, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.866/304.15, Was #9

this was a great looking side-by-side drag race. Scelzi will stay number four, and Johnson Jr. will move into the top half of the show with this pass.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 11.387/81.70, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.775/329.42, Was #3
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 10.532/97.27, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.865/302.31, Was #9

Both cars are up in smoke as soon as the light turns green.

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Left Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 11.285/83.10, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.773/326.08, Was #2
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.803/322.34, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.848/306.33, Was #7

Medlen is up in smoke right off the starting line, and clicks it off. Worsham with his best pass of the weekend to move up the ladder one spot.

Hight will end up number one in only his third start and Creasy Jr. will round out the field.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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