Sat, 16 Sep 2000, 01:46 PM READING - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By David Rowe

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the 16th annual Keystone 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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Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 12.585/74.74, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.627/191.87, Was #18
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 12.691/76.36, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.000/304.19, Was #7

12:50 PM Both cars leave the line and go up in smoke about 100 feet out. Worsham is still in the top half of the field but Burkart will only have one more shot to get in.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 17.001/62.95, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.612/204.63, Was #17
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 6.365/139.26, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.167/245.49, Was #15

Creasy goes up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Johnson was on a pretty good lap until the car throws the blower belt around half-track.

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Left Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 5.050/283.07, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.323/194.80, Was #16
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.857/192.47, Now #19; Best prior run: 9.441/100.41, Was #20

Hofmann makes a good run and gets off the bump. Haddock pulls the wheels, pedals a couple of times and still doesn't make it into the field. He apparently loses some oil on the way down the track and we will be down for a cleanup in the right lane.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.958/287.35, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.976/289.57, Was #4
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 5.001/281.66, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.063/263.10, Was #10

1:09 PM Both of these drivers had busted runs last night.....but not today. Sarver makes a good run and moves up a couple of spots. Toliver starts mixing up cylinders around the 1000 foot mark but still improves from his earlier runs.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 4.879/308.71, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.934/303.23, Was #2
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.089/243.81, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.065/269.89, Was #11

Pedregon makes a career best run but stays in the second spot. Capps had a good run going until he starts hazing the tires a little before half-track.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 16.399/73.36, Now #20; Best prior run: 8.190/97.91, Was #20
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 5.053/265.17, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.119/261.72, Was #14

Bazemore hasn't made a full pass this weekend and still isn't in the show....and he still isn't. He goes up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Gilbertson keeps it in the groove all the through the finish and moves up three spots to number eleven.

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Left Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 4.954/299.20, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.109/278.86, Was #14
Right Lane: Jim Epler Runs 5.514/178.71, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.990/259.06, Was #6

Epler was ahead of Cannon until just past half-track, then he starts hazing the tires. The back end of the car starts dancing around and the front end of the car noses over. Cannon makes a good pass and jumps up eleven spots to number three.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.144/240.59, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.164/286.25, Was #15

Densham switched to last year's body for this run, although I haven't heard why. He was on a good pass until about half-track where he starts smoking the tires.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 13.735/59.92, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.032/278.35, Was #10
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 5.201/224.25, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.973/293.86, Was #5

Pedregon goes up in smoke right off the line. Skuza starts mixing up cylinders a little past half-track and shuts down a little before the finish line.

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Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 5.275/231.95, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.067/291.38, Was #14
Right Lane: John Force Runs 5.520/186.12, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.865/312.50, Was #1

Force starts dancing around on the top end then the blower belt lets go.




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