Sat, 14 Jun 2003, 09:35 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

HEBRON, Ohio - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing 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: Johnny Gray Runs 5.103/292.39, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.156/291.07, Was #17

Current weather conditions: 72 degrees, 83 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.05 inches, with a track temperature of 86 degrees.

Gray's engine was eating itself up from a 1000 feet on and for the first time this year Gray will not be around on Sunday.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.021/293.92, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.078/291.32, Was #16
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.987/309.13, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.012/305.98, Was #15

The field is set, we will just be jockeying for positions now. Creasy with his best pass of the weekend and will stay number 16. Gilbertson with a great looking pass and then after the run there is no chute and then finally one comes out. He is on the brakes hard and bouncing, but can't keep it out of the sand. He did get it stopped before the safety net.

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Left Lane: Arnie Karp Runs 6.357/137.99, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.953/293.98, Was #12
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.923/315.12, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.001/293.03, Was #15

Karp was out of the groove early and over close to the wall, he attempted to wrestle it back into the groove. He could not and finally lifted around half track. Pedregon with his best pass of the weekend.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 9.640/87.22, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.943/309.77, Was #12
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.791/323.66, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.955/290.82, Was #14

Pedregon lost traction right off the starting line and clicked it off. Force launched hard keep the candles lit and the Goodyears stuck all the way through the quarter mile to take the number one spot and set the track E.T. and mph record.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.857/312.57, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.935/303.57, Was #12
Right Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 4.892/315.64, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.897/313.07, Was #8

Johnson with a great looking pass until about 1000 feet and then it started mixing up the cylinders with the header flames turning green. Then just past the finish line there was a big bang and a quick fireball. Tommy is out of the car and okay. Cannon with another good pass to stay in the number eight spot.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.925/294.69, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.934/298.60, Was #12
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.323/216.24, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.891/303.50, Was #7

Wilkerson launches hard and then got out of the groove and over toward the centerline, but was able to reel it in. This is his best pass of the weekend, but he will not move up the ladder. Densham started having problems right after half track and with a big puff of smoke the engine let go. We have oil on the track in Densham's lane.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.862/314.02, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.900/313.00, Was #10
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.863/320.13, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.876/320.43, Was #5

This was just good old drag race here side by side all the way down the 1320. Worsham with this run moves in front of Scelzi with this pass.

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Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 4.907/305.42, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.892/307.30, Was #10
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 6.142/144.86, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.853/311.05, Was #3

Capps lost traction around half track and clicked it off. Brian Corradi is now crew chief for Skuza and Steve Boggs Jr is also helping out on the crew. Skuza with another good pass, but will stay number 10.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore No Time, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.877/313.95, Was #7
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.780/316.67, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.820/318.02, Was #2

This was spectacular drag race. Bazemore with a big explosion sending the body high into the air doing a 360 flip and landing right side up. Bazemore got the car stopped and he is out of the chassis and is okay. In the other lane Pedregon stealing the number one spot away from his boss with the track E.T. record. That wraps up Pro qualifying.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink