Sat, 12 Oct 2002, 02:31 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 17th annual O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec 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: Peter Russo Runs 8.879/96.32, Now #18; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 5.408/202.52, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.215/117.69, Was #16

12:58 PM The temperature is 71 degrees, the humidity is 72 percent, the barometer is 30.13 and the track temp is 90 degrees.

Russo starts shaking the tires about 200 feet out and has to abort the run. Skuza was on a pretty good pass, then about 800 feet out the car noses over.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.326/198.54, Was #14
Right Lane: Bob Bode No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 7.527/110.83, Was #17

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Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 13.206/74.72, Now #17; Best prior run: 7.527/110.83, Was #17

Cruz Pedregon was in line to run but pulled out at the last minute, the reason not clear.

Bode hits the throttle, strikes the tires and shuts down.

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Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.911/305.81, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.823/161.26, Was #16

Capps moves around a little for the first 300 feet, but then gets it in the groove and makes a good run to move a little further into the field.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 9.886/87.65, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.957/264.70, Was #12
Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 9.841/82.10, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.997/287.08, Was #13

Both cars get about 250 feet out, strike the tires and give up on the runs.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.930/307.27, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.910/312.06, Was #9
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.854/315.34, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.957/299.80, Was #11

Force goes right down the groove and moves into the top half of the field in the sixth spot. Gray slows from his earlier attempt yesterday and drops a spot to tenth.

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Left Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 12.508/81.98, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.872/315.01, Was #7
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 6.104/153.32, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.903/317.12, Was #9

Cannon hits the throttle and goes up in smoke. Densham was on a decent pass until just past half-track, then breaks the tires loose and has to shut down.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 5.993/156.41, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.853/309.70, Was #5
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 8.848/96.59, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.891/312.50, Was #8

Gilbertson gets about 300 feet out strikes the tires and gives up on the run. Pedregon gets a little further, about half-track and suffers the same fate.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 6.927/127.33, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.823/319.82, Was #4
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 6.313/141.53, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.817/322.92, Was #3

Worsham was on a decent pass until just past half-track, then he breaks the tires loose and aborts the run. Bazemore gets just a little further and goes up in smoke.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.810/318.13, Now #1; Best prior run: 0.000/319.82, Was #23
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 4.837/318.58, Now #2; Best prior run: 0.000/322.92, Was #17

These two made it look easy, both right down the groove and not a hint of tire smoke.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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