Fri, 6 Jun 2008, 05:10 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

JOLIET, Ill. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Mark Oswald Runs 4.946/293.09, Now #1

3:17 p.m. Oswald is driving Ashley's car this weekend. The last last Oswald drove was at the finals in '98.

Oswald gets about 400 feet out, the car drifts to the left, getting close to the center-line. He stays on the throttle and makes a decent first run.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 12.021/80.65, Now #3
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 5.316/239.61, Now #2

Bode gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. Kalitta was on a decent run, then starts mixing up cylinders about 1000 feet out and slows.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 6.275/148.53, Now #3
Right Lane: Tony Bartone No Time, Now #6

Bartone leaves the line, gets about 300 feet out, then pulls the wheels high into the air. the car slams back down, apparently breaking something in the steering, then the car makes a hard move to the left. He crosses the centerline, just misses the rear of Johnson's car, the slams into the wall. he continues down the track, riding against the wall, then comes to a stop just past the finish-line. After a few seconds, the safety pops open and he climbs out of the car. Meanwhile, Johnson has problems late in the run and clicks it off early.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 4.908/314.53, Now #2
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.859/326.16, Now #1

A couple of decent runs, just moving around a little at half-track, probably from the wind.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 6.642/132.18, Now #6
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 9.019/83.67, Now #7

Scelzi strikes the tires about 200 feet out, pedals once, then goes up in smoke. Head gets a little further, about 300 feet, then loses traction and aborts the run.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.710/212.26, Now #5
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 6.402/144.81, Now #7

Worsham gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires and pedal a couple of times. Beckman was on a decent pass, then had problems just past half-track and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 4.856/315.93, Now #1
Right Lane: Mike Neff Runs 5.267/205.44, Now #5

No problems for Tasca, going right down the groove with the quickest pass of the round so far. Neff was on a decent pass but had problems just past half-track and the car nosed over.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.929/302.28, Now #4
Right Lane: Ron Capps No Time, Now #16

Not sure what happened with Capps. He pre-stages, then something goes wrong with the car, not sure what it was. Densham makes a clean pass and gets in the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.813/166.76, Now #10
Right Lane: Robert Hight Runs 4.850/293.54, Now #1

Pedregon was on a good run, then had problems around half track and slowed. Hight makes a good run, but the engine started eating itself up about 1100 feet out.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 9.630/84.61, Now #16
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.857/315.71, Now #3

Pedregon gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. Force makes a good pass, right down the groove, and he gets in the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 5.319/200.20, Now #10
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson No Time, Now #19

Wilkerson has a scare here. He hits the throttle, the car goes straight to the right, tags the wall, then comes to a stop about 300 feet out. It appears the car was leaking fluid when he staged but no one saw it, then got under the tires when he left the line. Force was on a decent pass but had problems just before half-track and slowed.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink