Fri, 25 Oct 2002, 09:25 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Stephen Neese No Time, Now #1

Here we go with Funny Car and Neese launched and didn't like the way it sounded and clicked it off and came to a stop about half track.

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Left Lane: Peter Russo Runs 9.434/96.96, Now #2
Right Lane: Keith Jackson Runs 5.112/293.92, Now #1

Russo had troubles early in the run and clicked it off by the 330 foot mark. Jackson with a career best E.T. and mph pass here.

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Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 9.720/85.32, Now #4
Right Lane: Louis Sweet Runs 9.554/91.49, Now #3

Both of these two were shaking and rattling the tires right off the starting line and were off the throttle by 300 feet.

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Left Lane: Cory Lee Runs 8.587/100.13, Now #3
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.193/270.70, Now #2

Lee is driving the John Lindsey Funny Car this weekend and had trouble getting the car to fire, but then was up in smoke right off the starting line. Haddock was able to get the Goodyears to stick and the engine to fire on all eight for nice looking pass.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 7.829/109.72, Now #4
Right Lane: Todd Paton Runs 5.103/293.03, Now #1

Bode started to lose traction and then blister the Goodyears by half track. Paton with a nice looking pass here straight and clean.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.039/307.30, Now #1
Right Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 5.449/200.14, Now #5

Pedregon had a quick engine explosion and flash of fire just past the half track cone. Creasy with one of the few clean passes in the left lane today.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.094/251.20, Now #2
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 6.011/157.37, Now #7

Wilkerson was hazing the tires by half track and got off the throttle. Cruz got out of the groove first making a move toward the centerline and then back toward the wall.

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Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 10.168/82.67, Now #14
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 8.393/92.57, Now #9

Gilbertson lost traction by 150 feet and clicked it off. Sarver made it a little further down track before he lost traction.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.965/311.49, Now #1
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 6.199/153.02, Now #9

Both cars made quick moves toward the centerline and that was when Skuza clicked it off. Gray pedaled it one time and then got real close to the wall, but stayed with it for our first four second pass of the weekend.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.934/310.70, Now #1
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.015/294.11, Now #3

It is the Skoal Racing Teammates here and TJ with a great looking pass as he keep the candles lit all the way through the quarter mile. Capps with his first pass since the big engine explosion in Dallas two weeks ago. Nice pass to start the weekend.

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Left Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 4.864/313.07, Now #1
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.956/313.95, Now #3

Now it is the Schumacher Team here and Cannon was straight down Broadway with a great pass. He did have a little header fire in the shut down area, but goes to the number one spot. Bazemore was right there with him, but did get a little loose on the top end.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.904/300.66, Now #3
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.895/312.50, Now #2

This was a good looking drag race between the number two and three guys in the points chase. Worsham got the edge here for the number two spot for now.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.786/322.73, Now #1
Right Lane: John Force Runs 8.649/96.04, Now #20

Tony with the quickest 60-foot time of the session and parlayed that into the number one spot with a great looking pass. There was not a lot of wasted motion in this pass with the header flames lighting up the sky. Tony is in one of the special edition KISS paint scheme cars here. Force was right there with Tony in the 60 feet the difference being John then overpowered the track.

That wraps up round one with Tony number one and Dean Skuza is on the bubble.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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