Sat, 9 Oct 2004, 12:53 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual Lucas Oil 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: Tony Bartone Runs 4.942/307.72, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.977/154.46, Was #17
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.063/278.40, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.567/134.82, Was #18

12:23 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 85 percent, barometer 29.57 inches, adjusted altitude 841 feet, track temperature 70 degrees.

Bartone and Haddock came into the session as the only two Funny Car drivers who made qualifying passes but who were not in the field.

Both drivers chattered the tires but driver through it. Bartone's car started trailing smoke at mid track. Haddock's car waited until it got to 1,000 feet, then it started smoking too. Both drivers had their quickest laps of the weekend but neither was quick enough to make the field.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 5.264/209.46, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.926/304.87, Was #16
Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 4.910/314.61, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.881/309.13, Was #9

Head was on the bubble but with the only two drivers who were not in the field already making their third attempts, he did not have to worry about being bumped. The engine in Head's car let go at about 1,000 feet, sending the burst panel high into the air. Arend had a bit of smoke coming from his car as he crossed the finish line.

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Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.880/315.78, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.922/313.00, Was #15
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.819/318.62, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.875/309.56, Was #8

Both drivers had good runs with just a little bit of tire shake. Gray moved up six spots in the order, Pedregon moved up four.

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Left Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 10.325/80.06, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.912/306.95, Was #14
Right Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 4.903/309.49, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.920/307.93, Was #15

Toliver shook the tires for the first 330 feet, then shut it down. Burkart had a strong run and moved up three spots in the order.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.927/296.57, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.910/312.42, Was #14
Right Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.841/315.49, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.908/308.71, Was #13

Johnson had a good run and moved up six spots in the order. Bazemore shook the tires for a couple hundred feet and drove through it. As he go to the 1,000 foot mark, the flames coming out of his headers got longer and more orange, then the car started smoking. He did not change his place in the qualifying order.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.838/282.48, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.886/303.57, Was #12
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.811/316.75, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.864/317.34, Was #9

Pedregon drifted left and got near the wall but he stayed with it the whole way down the track. He had his quickest pass of the weekend and moved up four spots in the order. Scelzi moved up five spots with a lap that looked good from start to finish.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.813/310.70, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.861/315.34, Was #10
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.812/318.77, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.828/286.50, Was #7

Two good passes with minimal tire shake and both drivers moved up in the qualifying order.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.800/319.29, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.800/318.99, Was #3
Right Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 4.792/320.13, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.821/318.24, Was #8

Medlin moved into the top spot in the order with a really nice pass down the track. Worsham looked good too, after he drove through a little bit of early tire shake.

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Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.845/301.74, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.800/319.07, Was #4
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.777/321.04, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.796/318.47, Was #2

Medlin's time at the top of the order did not last long as Ron Capps had a great pass and regained the top spot in the order. Densham had some tire smoke and did not improve his spot in the order.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink