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Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1
Fri, 25 Feb 2005, 06:27 PM
Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual
Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and
position in order following run:
Left Lane: Stephen Neese Runs 5.598/237.25, Now #1
Right Lane: Dale Pulde Runs 6.181/157.89, Now #2
3:30 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 41
percent, barometer 28.74 inches, adjusted altitude 2,623 feet, track temperature 104
degrees.
Just about on schedule it's the Nitro Funny Cars making their first appearance of the weekend.
Neese's ride appeared to be a bit soft in the clutch can but it still drove him over towards
the wall in the left lane. Pulde appeared to have some engine problems in the right lane but it
was tough to tell as the diaper caught anything that might have exited the engine. I saw
something green in the air behind the car but there was nothing on the racing surface.
Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.885/314.83, Now #1
Right Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 12.291/43.03, Now #4
Bartone was right on the centerline after half track and got very close to
crossing. The header on the right side of the car fell down and was throwing sparks all over
and only added to the drama. Wyatt struck the tires before the car even moved three feet.
Bartone left nothing on the racing surface so we are going to fire the next pair.
Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.886/311.27, Now #2
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.920/277.72, Now #3
Densham and Wilkerson both had rough outings at the Winternationals and are looking
to put things right here in Chandler. Well, it wasn't pretty but both cars got some of what
they were looking for. Wilkerson made the better run of the two and gets into the eighties.
Densham appeared to put some holes out on the right side and a blower belt must have parted
company with the car. Uh oh. The Safari is out on the track in full force cleaning the lane
Densham ran in. No more free oil down tickets for that team.
Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 6.122/155.58, Now #5
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 12.533/85.69, Now #8
Arend rattles the tires pretty hard and he's forced to lift. Haddock get a bit
further but rattles the tires hard at about 330. He pedaled a couple of times and the he gave
up as well.
Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 9.163/92.82, Now #7
Right Lane: Frank Pedregon No Time, Now #10
Frank Pedregon made the burnout and after he returned to the line the crew
discovered something amiss in the car and gave the signal to shut it down. Capps got the single
but struck the tires at about 300 feet. He coasted on through. Both will return later today for
round two.
Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 7.277/111.82, Now #7
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 11.921/86.05, Now #9
Here's another pair of drivers that are trying to put Pomona out of their minds.
Both were first round losers and both have had two weeks to brood on it. Hight smoked the tires
almost at the hit. Scelzi got to 330 and his Oakley Dodge suffered the same fate.
Left Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 4.815/314.09, Now #1
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.826/320.97, Now #2
The Force camp was qualified 1 thru 3 at Pomona but suffered through all three cars
going out in round one. Bet they don't do that here. Well, they have this pair qualified one
and two, with 'The Kid' just a taste quicker. Both cars disappeared behind a wall of smoke and
after the finish Medlen's pony drifted over and got within nuzzling distance of each other. The
Safari is out and it appears they have work in both lanes.
Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 8.388/95.08, Now #11
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 5.247/205.82, Now #6
The track has been put back into order and we're ready to go racing. Head was the
first with problems and he shuts off about 330. Gilbertson got further but something goes away
in the car at about 900 feet. There was a flash of fire and complete silence.
Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.810/324.36, Now #1
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.567/221.52, Now #8
Local knowledge can a long ways and this instance it goes all the way to the top of
the heap. He sets low ET and Top Speed of the event to this point. Pedregon was on and off the
pedal and finally had to settle for the 5.567. That's not bad since his problems set in well
before half track.
Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.834/127.03, Now #13
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.953/302.55, Now #7
Pedregon(Cruz) was on a nice looking pass to around 400 feet. RPM went up and he
shut the car down quickly. Bazemore used up some engine parts as the header flames danced and
changed colors all the way down but he makes the top half of the field for the moment.
Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.814/319.67, Now #2
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.895/301.60, Now #7
Now that will make the CSK crews one and two to close out the first Funny Car
Qualifying session of the weekend. TJ and Burkart were side by side for the first few hundred
feet but TJ's ride started mixing cylinders and he quickly fell behind. No big boomers and only
a little oil from the Floppers. It's on to Top Fuel
Timing data courtesy of
CompuLink
By Dave Gerard
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