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Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session
Sat, 26 Feb 2005, 06:39 PM
Notes from final, round 4 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
this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in
order prior to run:
Left Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 9.800/89.90, Now #22; Best prior run: 8.849/94.75, Was
#22
4:01 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 36
percent, barometer 28.75 inches, adjusted altitude 2,793 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.
The final session of Pro qualifying is now open for Funny Cars. Come on down! Wyatt opens the
session by rattling the tires loose before 100 feet. No one in the right lane.
Left Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 5.059/269.83, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.627/61.50, Was
#21
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.079/264.29, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.981/308.07,
Was #18
Neither of these drivers are qualified and I'm certain that Whit Bazemore and Gary
Densham are paying attentions as they are currently #16 and #15. Both drivers leave hard but
after half track they are feathering the throttle trying to keep their rides hooked to the
track. Neither make the program.
Left Lane: Dale Pulde Runs 6.086/158.80, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.245/267.27,
Was #21
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 7.575/109.44, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.972/298.80, Was
#17
Two icebox white funny cars are pulling to the line. Both have big blank spaces
where sponsor names are supposed to go. Head strikes the tires before half tack and Pulde does
the same after half track.
Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.882/313.44, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.953/302.55,
Was #16
Right Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 6.004/157.69, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.885/314.83,
Was #13
Bazemore gets himself off the bump with their best looking pass of the weekend. The
4.953 from the first session on Friday was not a thing of beauty so they have to feel much
better after this one. Bartone started spinning the tires at about 900 feet and clicked it
immediately.
Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 6.376/147.47, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.920/277.72,
Was #16
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 9.890/88.59, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.816/310.91,
Was #10
Densham skipped the middle two qualifying sessions so he's fallen to the bump spot
in the order. The Racebrick car leaves well but at about 500 feet the Goodyears start to spin
and Densham has to lift. Wilkerson didn't make 500 feet as the tires came unstuck much earlier
in his run.
Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.803/322.88, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.886/311.56,
Was #15
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 5.336/201.46, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.814/319.67,
Was #9
Gilbertson makes the first really big move of the session. He goes from #15 to #8.
If that holds it will be the first time in awhile he goes into Sunday with lane choice in his
pocket. Burkart started slipping the tires late in the run so his numbers are affected by an
early shut down.
Right Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 5.892/159.91, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.806/278.58,
Was #9
The cars are not striking the tires loose near the starting line in this session,
for the most part. Most all the problems have been from half track on when the Goodyear tires
start to spin with just a whisp of smoke at first . If the driver stays on the throttle the
whisp just gets bigger and bigger until the car crosses the line billowing smoke or blowing up
the engine. Same problem here for Medlen as he steps off the pedal.
Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.808/323.89, Now #10; Best prior run:
4.851/317.12, Was #12
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.806/317.27, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.791/321.88, Was
#7
Now there was two different ways to run 4.80. You could actually see Capps was
quicker to half track. After half track you could see Johnson just pull away with the bigger
terminal MPH. Fun to watch when all goes to plan.
Left Lane: John Force Runs 5.172/240.51, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.760/323.35, Was
#4
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 8.365/96.01, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.780/320.66,
Was #6
Both drivers leave together and this time both strike the tires just before half
track. Force decides to practice his pedal technique and gets back on the gas to finish the
run. Pedregon called it off with no hope of redeeming the run.
Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.723/329.99, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.750/328.22,
Was #3
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 6.806/126.32, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.770/327.66,
Was #5
After all the early problems Hight is the highest qualified of the Team Force
Mustangs. Hight raises that to #2 with a great looking run. Scelzi strikes the tires at about
the 330 cone.
Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.830/292.52, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.703/325.06,
Was #1
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.906/284.75, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.748/324.98,
Was #3
Here we are at the final pair of Funny Cars to make runs in the session. This caps
a pretty good session with some really good runs and some...less that stellar attempts. Another
good start but both cars started spinning the tires around 1100 feet. Both MPHs are down and
both car were slowing at the stripe. That ends the qualifying portion of the program and now we
go into some sportsman eliminations to close out the evening.
Timing data courtesy of
CompuLink
By Dave Gerard
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