Sun, Oct 4, 12:02 AM TOPEKA - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Bob Orme They're set for Sunday

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the 10th annual Parts America 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: Jim Epler Runs 5.170/309.49 Now # 5, (Best prior run: 12.666/ 66.32 Was #19)
Right Lane: Randy Anderson Runs 12.633/ 65.44 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 5.366/268.89 Was # 6)

5:17 PM The first pair of Funny Cars pull to the line. Epler needs a good pass here to make the show and he gets one. He had to pedal it at about 200' but makes a very strong charge on the top end. Anderson struck the tires at 100' and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Norman Wilding No Time Now #19, (Best prior run: 9.569/ 85.14 Was #19)
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 18.789/ 59.14 Now # 2, (Best prior run: 4.986/303.84 Was # 2)

Both drivers boiled the hides on the launch. Wilding looked like he was going come to a complete stop at half track but finally lumbers on through the lights.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.303/287.63 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 13.572/ 78.13 Was #20)
Right Lane: Tom Hoover Runs 11.690/ 80.85 Now #12, (Best prior run: 6.249/146.24 Was #11)

Hoover is up in smoke at 200' and he aborts the run. Worsham had to pedal it once at 300', then was able to motor on down the track.

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Left Lane: Chuck Etchells Runs 4.951/306.74 Now # 2, (Best prior run: 5.040/290.60 Was # 3)
Right Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 5.446/197.88 Now #10, (Best prior run: 6.395/186.72 Was #13)

Hofmann started to lose the engine at about 900'. Etchells was on a real tear, mixing up the cylinders going through the traps and moving into second position for now.

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Left Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 12.561/ 61.18 Now #12, (Best prior run: 5.740/259.96 Was #11)
Right Lane: Vicky Fanning Runs 5.713/267.06 Now #11, (Best prior run: 6.849/222.60 Was #15)

Wyatt had turned the engine off by the 100' mark, I'm not sure why. Fanning improves her position after driving through some early tire shake. After deploying her chute, she tagged the retaining wall in the shutdown area.

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Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 5.117/303.84 Now # 4, (Best prior run: 5.388/299.10 Was # 9)
Right Lane: Al Segrini Runs 7.755/168.41 Now #17, (Best prior run: 15.961/ 56.04 Was #21)

Bazemore pedaled once at about 200' then didn't have any more problems. Segrini blew the tires off immediately. He did manage to pedal a couple times to get him down the track, but not into the show.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.992/314.46 Now # 4, (Best prior run: 5.124/285.35 Was # 5)
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.278/276.41 Now # 8, (Best prior run: 6.545/200.40 Was #15)

Densham dropped a cylinder at half track slowing him down on the top end. Pedregon puts his car solidly into the top half of the field with a strong pass, some engine smoke at the finish.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 5.071/295.56 Now # 5, (Best prior run: 8.829/102.08 Was #18)
Right Lane: John Force Runs 5.502/187.26 Now # 8, (Best prior run: 5.193/297.81 Was # 7)

Wilkerson pedaled it once at 100' and never looked back. Force had a good run going when the candles went out at about 800'.

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Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 5.592/286.71 Now #13, (Best prior run: 9.267/ 51.67 Was #20)
Right Lane: Dale Creasy, Jr. Runs 13.553/ 94.73 Now #18, (Best prior run: 7.038/130.24 Was #17)

Both drivers looking to get into the show and Wilkerson does it, but it isn't easy. He was pedaling and fishtailing three quarters of the way down. Creasy over-powered the track on the launch and wasn't able to get the car back in shape.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 5.882/165.44 Now #16, (Best prior run: 5.767/221.56 Was #16)
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.710/164.62 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 4.941/293.82 Was # 1)

Both cars looked very good until just past half track. Frank shut it off with no apparent problems and Cruz lost traction.

That brings to a close Funny Car qualifying with Cruz Pedregon retaining the number one position on his elapsed time of 4.941 and his brother Frank at number sixteen on a 5.767 ET.