Fri, 24 Oct 2003, 10:35 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual ACDelco Las Vegas 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:

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Left Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 7.339/117.55, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 10.817/90.87, Now #21; No Prior Run

6:45 PM Current weather conditions: 86 degrees, 6 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.95 inches.

Haddock goes up in smoke right off the line, stays on the throttle for 100 feet or so, then aborts the run. Wyatt gets just past the 330-foot mark then loses traction and gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 4.863/322.34, Now #1; Best prior run: 12.043/89.11, Was #22

Cannon will not be racing for Schumacher next year, the word is he will be going back to Pro Mod racing. Cannon makes a great pass, right down the groove, header flames high and steady, and he takes over the number one spot for now.

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Left Lane: Keith Jackson Runs 5.260/240.81, Now #16; Best prior run: 10.500/77.72, Was #21
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.974/241.41, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.576/138.30, Was #17

Densham had a good run going, ahead of Cannon's 1000-foot time by almost .05 seconds, then the candles go out, not sure why. Jackson got close to the center-line and had to shut down at the 1000-foot mark. He gets in on the bump for now.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.062/296.31, Now #11; Best prior run: 9.231/82.12, Was #20
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 6.935/132.76, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.416/203.61, Was #17

Creasy makes a good pass and gets in the show in the eleventh spot for now. Gilbertson gets near the center-line just past the 330-foot mark and aborts the run.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.857/314.39, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.866/237.17, Was #19
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.900/314.53, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.150/292.14, Was #16

Force is not qualified at this point, Burkart is on the bump.....make that was on the bump. Force goes right down the groove and moves all the way to the number one spot. Burkart makes a big jump and gets in the top half of the field in the third spot. Karp is now on the bump with a 5.094.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.946/301.94, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.095/293.79, Was #17
Right Lane: Arnie Karp Runs 6.463/138.51, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.094/298.34, Was #16

Bode moves around a little off the line, then gets it going straight and gets in fifth spot for now. Karp has engine problems just past half-track and gets bump out of the field.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.001/249.49, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.088/258.76, Was #16
Right Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 14.128/62.35, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.062/288.09, Was #15

Frank gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Cruz was on a great pass until just before the 1000-foot mark, then the blower belt comes off and the car noses over.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 13.087/70.25, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.029/307.30, Was #12
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 4.958/299.66, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.053/285.65, Was #14

Worsham strikes the tires right off the line and shuts down. Skuza keeps the candles lit all the way through the run and gets in the top half of the field in the 8th spot.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 5.023/304.67, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.956/311.92, Was #7
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.886/314.09, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.036/305.49, Was #14

Scelzi made a decent pass but slowed from his earlier run. Capps moves up to the third spot, dropping Scelzi a notch to 8th.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.753/322.88, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.949/304.74, Was #7
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.847/310.05, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.007/292.01, Was #13

WOW !!! Pedregon makes a great pass just missing the track record of 4.74 to take the pole. Bazemore moves up to the second spot but is almost a tenth behind Pedregon.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.868/317.34, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.935/311.85, Was #7
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.894/306.81, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.968/284.69, Was #11

A pair of decent runs, though not quite up to the standard set in the last pair, but both move up a couple of spots in the field.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink