Fri, 23 May 2003, 06:45 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 15th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Keith Jackson Runs 5.186/259.51, Now #1
Right Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 10.497/93.95, Now #2

Current weather conditions: 74 degrees, 63 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.06 inches under partly cloudy skies.

Wyatt with problems right off the starting line and clicked it off. Jackson got out of the groove and close to the wall, but stayed with it.

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Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 5.001/310.84, Now #1
Right Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 11.487/81.29, Now #4

Cannon lost traction as soon as he hit the throttle and lifted. Creasy was straight down the groove for a nice looking pass to start the weekend.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 8.101/104.11, Now #4
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.953/292.65, Now #1

Wilkerson started to blister the hides about 250 feet out and shut it off. Gilbertson was able to keep the Goodyears to stick all the way through the 1320 for our first 4-second pass of the weekend.

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Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.442/137.23, Now #4
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 9.906/86.19, Now #6

Skuza lost traction around the 200 feet and then Cruz went up in smoke around 330 feet.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 9.705/87.85, Now #7
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 6.156/149.08, Now #4

Pedregon lost traction around 200 feet while Scelzi made to about 400 feet and then started to haze the tires.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 6.847/127.82, Now #7
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 6.335/141.27, Now #5

Both of these guys lose traction around the 330 foot mark.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.914/312.64, Now #1
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 11.631/81.29, Now #14

Capps was up in smoke instantly while Gray was able to negotiate this tricky track. Looked like he might of pedaled it about 1100 feet.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.914/317.42, Now #1
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 7.460/106.09, Now #10

Worsham lost traction around 400 feet and Densham was able to keep the candle lit and the Goodyears stuck all the way down the quarter mile.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.908/316.60, Now #1
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 7.730/113.15, Now #12

Pedregon was chattering the tires right off the starting line and then lost traction before lifting. Bazemore straight down Broadway and into the number one spot for now.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink