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Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3
Sat, 2 Aug 2003, 04:23 PM
Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 16th annual
FRAM-Autolite NHRA 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:
Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 6.194/147.75, Now #19; Best prior run:
6.705/129.68, Was #20
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 8.794/91.73, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.419/137.75, Was
#19
12:45 PM This is a rematch for the second round of qualifying that resulted in
Creasy's time being DQd when Skuza took out the timing cones. The Top fuel cars had problems
after the transition and it appears that the Funny Cars may have the same. Here both cars smoke
the tires a few hundred feet out and both have to call it off. That leaves them down to that all
important final session later today.
Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 6.381/139.72, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.048/295.85,
Was #13
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.933/306.05, Now #7; Best prior run:
4.986/296.11, Was #12
Johnson gets a full pull with the Skoal blue car and moves into the top half.
Pedregon got to about half track before the tires kicked loose and he shut off.
Left Lane: Keith Jackson Runs 5.016/286.19, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.142/244.78,
Was #16
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.122/259.86, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.076/295.85,
Was #14
Jackson is on the bump and there are twenty funny cars that have made attempts this
weekend. Not a good place to be. Densham has struggled a bit himself and would like to improve.
You wonder about whose the well funded team here. Jackson does his job and moves off the bump.
Densham was real soft in the first half of the track and slows from his weekend best. One more
session to get it right.
Left Lane: Arnie Karp Runs 6.248/147.67, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.967/300.06, Was
#11
Karp has the tires kick loose around 330 and his session is over.
Left Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 5.786/168.30, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.941/296.05,
Was #10
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 6.533/165.52, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.329/246.57,
Was #17
Gilbertson needs to muster something better than a 5.114 to bump Jack Wyatt and make
the show. The Scotty Cannon tuned and driven Firebird is well into the show and I'm certain the
top half would look good to him. Gilbertson is loose at 330 and Scotty kicks 'em around half
track. It's tough out there at the moment boys and girls.
Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.671/175.57, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.937/302.08, Was
#9
Right Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 5.149/286.01, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.114/281.42, Was
#16
The session is well along and Wyatt is still holding onto that final spot in the
show. Jackson moved off the bubble so now we see if Wyatt can do the same. Wyatt does go from A
to B but just doesn't improve. Capps will remain #9 as he has traction problems around half
track.
Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.001/294.11, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.935/287.72,
Was #8
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.940/304.74, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.974/308.78,
Was #12
Cruz moves the Advance Auto Parts racer two spots higher in the field. He had the
header flames go weird on him just before the lights or it might have been better. Wilkerson
made a full pass and might have picked up some Sunday data but nothing that moves him up in the
field.
Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 5.425/199.76, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.883/312.71, Was
#6
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.949/305.70, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.849/318.92, Was
#5
Scelzi gets a full pass and may have learned a bit about the track as well. Gray
appeared to be on a pretty good pass until the tires started slipped around 1000 feet
on.
Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 7.925/101.16, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.845/290.07,
Was #4
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 6.467/138.76, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.837/309.70,
Was #3
Bazemore has the Mopar body on his racer after turning the Matco body to trash last
evening in the final session. Tony is qualified well but it's really cost his team a bunch of
parts this weekend. Lots more in the trailer but still. Again, both are tire smokers and both
save the parts.
Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.357/201.01, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.827/316.75, Was
#2
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.906/310.77, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.814/316.90, Was
#1
Yes, I believe it's true. John has changed cars with Tony. Force makes it look easy
and runs low ET of the round, as well as top speed. John's header flames were looking a little
bit funny in the lights but he got away with it. Worsham smokes the tires but will remain #2 in
the show to the Boss. Looks like the alcohol funnies will get their missed session as they
appear around the side of the building.
Timing data courtesy of
CompuLink
By Darryl Jackman
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