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Sat, Oct 10, 11:40 PM

MEMPHIS - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the 11th annual Pennzoil Nationals presented by AutoZone, 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):

Left Lane: John Force Runs 5.154/240.38 Now # 2, (Best prior run: 4.924/311.13 Was # 2)
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.799/186.10 Now #16, (Best prior run: 5.341/234.09 Was #16)

Force launches hard and is truckin' until just past half track and that is when the Goodyears break loose. He smokes them to the finish line. Densham loses traction before half track and pedals it one time. He loses traction again, but stays with it.

Left Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 11.744/ 78.13 Now #19, (Best prior run: 5.623/251.95 Was #19)
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.947/302.48 Now # 4, (Best prior run: 5.037/271.84 Was # 7)

Tony is running Force's Castrol GTX body here. The plan works as Tony moves up to the number four spot. Wyatt starts to shake the tires pedals it, but then starts to lose traction. He attempts to pedal it one more time, but no luck, so Jack will get an early start back to Topeka.

Left Lane: Chuck Etchells Runs 5.017/303.98 Now # 6, (Best prior run: 4.980/286.68 Was # 6)
Right Lane: Tom Hoover Runs 5.585/244.52 Now #14, (Best prior run: 5.310/244.78 Was #14)

Etchells makes a good pass in preparation for Sunday eliminations. Hoover starts to lose traction on the top end, and stays number 14.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 8.273/103.45 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 4.916/311.20 Was # 1)
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.985/309.13 Now # 5, (Best prior run: 4.955/310.27 Was # 5)

Pedregon goes 100 feet gets off the throttle and when he stomps back down on the pedal it goes up in smoke. Bazemore was trying a different blower on their last pass and decided to go back to regular setup. It pays off with another 4-second pass for Team Winston.

Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 10.140/ 86.23 Now # 8, (Best prior run: 5.075/295.98 Was # 8)
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 8.707/ 97.26 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 4.988/279.21 Was # 7)

Both cars lose traction and blister the hides before they get off the concrete launch pad.

Left Lane: Randy Anderson Runs 6.439/142.93 Now #18, (Best prior run: 5.454/258.67 Was #18)
Right Lane: Keith Jackson Runs 20.699/ 52.97 Now #20, (Best prior run: 5.792/186.90 Was #20)

Densham will be watching this one closely as neither of these guys are in the show. He breathes a sigh of relief, as Jackson goes up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Anderson is on a strong pass until just past half-track and it appears that is when he lost the blower belt.

Right Lane: Ronny Young Runs 21.996/ 24.15 Now #22, (No prior time)

Young on a single here, as he is running a new car. Young stomps on the throttle it bangs the blower. The pressure relief panel in front of the blower goes flying into the air. This is not the way you want to break in a new car, as it coast on through the quarter mile he has a little fire. They get the fire put out and we are down for a little clean up.

Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 11.114/ 70.28 Now # 3, (Best prior run: 4.945/304.39 Was # 3)
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 4.964/301.67 Now # 6, (Best prior run: 5.118/286.56 Was # 9)

Capps is up in smoke and out of it before he gets to the 330-foot mark. Skuza keeps the candles lit all the way through the quarter mile as he runs a career best to move into the top half of the show.

Left Lane: Bob Weickgenannt Runs 8.033/ 92.00 Now #21, (Best prior run: 6.317/171.44 Was #21)
Right Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 5.623/ 96.10 Now #15, (Best prior run: 5.334/272.83 Was #15)

Weickgenannt loses traction by 100 feet and when he pedals it, the car is completely side ways. He is off and back on the throttle getting real close to the centerline and finally gives it up. Pedregon loses traction and lifts and then gets back into it for no help.

Left Lane: Jim Epler Runs 5.129/301.87 Now #11, (Best prior run: 5.152/306.12 Was #10)
Right Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 4.979/305.15 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 5.273/215.51 Was #13)

Hofmann with one of his best passes as of late. He is the ninth car to break into the 4-second zone. Epler with another teen.

Left Lane: Vicky Fanning Runs 11.005/ 72.45 Now #17, (Best prior run: 5.354/281.30 Was #17)

Densham anxiously watching The Udder Car as she is the last car of the session and she will have to run her third career best of the weekend to make the show. She does not do it. When she launches she heads for the wall and has to lift. Densham holds on for the sixteen spot and will face off against Cruz Pedregon.