Sun, 20 Jan 2002, 08:19 PM CHANDLER - National Time Trials - Sunday Wrap Up

By Dave Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - The afternoon session starts with clear blue skies, warming temperatures and fast race cars. We have had a small number of "start of season" problems today with the timing systems and track radios. We have had an ongoing problem with the sixty-foot clocks in the right lane.

Kenny Bernstein will get the early attempt of the afternoon session, as he was shut off earlier with "stuff" on the track.

Ashley Force is continuing her education in Super racing in her Ford powered Victory SC dragster. She misses a perfect light with a .398RT and finishes with a healthy 8.948ET at 163.37MPH. The Super Comp index is an 8.97 here at Firebird (1300+ foot altitude). Later in the afternoon, she cards a better 8.977 at 163.69.

There will be two sessions this afternoon: about 2:30pm and 4:30pm.

Funny Car

2:42 pm Steve Kotten drops a cylinder at the hit and clicks it. .951/60ft.

2:47 pm Gary Scelzi makes almost to the lights before the motor starts to hurt itself. He slows to a 5.219 at 216.93. .909/60ft., 2.355., 3.370/250.41-660ft., and 4.260/1000ft.

2:54 pm Al Hofmann, left lane, runs it right down Broadway to a 4.854 at 293.15. .880/60ft., 2.294/330ft., 3.294/254.81-660ft., and 4.124/1000ft.

2:54 pm Del Worsham, right lane, is slow off the line and is up in smoke. .923/60ft., and 2.863/330ft.

3:07 pm Whit Bazemore, left lane, hits the throttle and is up in smoke. .900/60ft. and 2.831/330ft.

3:07 pm Tony Pedregon, right lane, makes the burn out and can't get the car back in reverse, so he motors on down to clear the track.

3:22 pm Ron Capps, left lane, runs to the 1000 foot and cards a 5.003 at 258.42. .904/60ft., 2.350/330ft., 3.363/251.81-660ft., and 4.205/1000ft.

3:22 pm Steve Neese in the Neese and Knowles FC, right lane, has a better 60 foot, but has to click it before the 330foot mark. .823/60ft. and 2.900/330ft.

3:28 pm Tommy Johnson Jr., left lane, both cars leave together and shut off together at mid-track. .906/60ft., 2.358/330ft., and 3.389/245.72-660ft.

3:28 pm John Force, right lane, No sixty foot times. 2.313/330ft., and 3.328/249.07-660ft.

3:36 pm Scotty Cannon, left lane, another pair to go up in smoke together near the 330-foot mark. .908/60ft. and 2.709/330ft.

3:36 pm Jerry Toliver, right lane. No sixty foot times. 2.566/330ft.

4:51 pm Gary Scelzi comes back for a full pass in style! 4.92 and 313.51. .899/60ft., 2.354/330ft., 3.378/250.83-660ft., and 4.212/1000ft.

4.53 pm Del Worsham, left lane, is up in smoke by the 330ft. No sixty-foot time. 2.613/330ft.

4:53 pm Tony Pedregon, right lane, makes up for the aborted run earlier with a clean 4.93 and 310.55. .908/60ft., 2.348/330ft., 3.369/248.07-660ft. and 4.211/1000ft.

4:57 pm Gary Densham, left lane, both cars are off the throttle before mid-track. .896/60ft. and 2.338/330ft.

4:57 pm Cruz Pedregon, right lane, .900/60ft. and 2.300/330ft.

5:08 pm Whit Bazemore is away with a lot of shake and then smoke. .891/60ft. and 2.437/330ft.

5:36 pm Steve Kotten in the black flame Mustang with hand controls comes to the line as the sun starts to drop behind the mountains. He makes a squirt off the line and clicks it. .989/60ft.

5:31 pm Ron Capps in the green Skoal FC is off the throttle by the 200-foot mark. .914/60ft.

5:35 pm Tommy Johnson Jr. in the blue Skoal FC is in the same lane as Capps and makes a similar run. .902/60ft.

5:38 pm John Force starts the engine and has to shut off, as TJ's car was stuck on the track at the top end. After a brief delay, the engine comes back to life and John does his burn out. Coil gives the OK and the car comes to the line and runs with the header flames over the top of the car until about 2/3's track. .881/60ft., 2.299/330ft., and 3.291/255.63-660ft.

5:45 pm Jerry Toliver, left lane, the two cars leave together and run side by side until pass half-track. He strikes the tires and clicks it off. .880/60ft., no 330 times, 3.305/240.51-660ft.

5:45 pm Scotty Cannon, right lane, keeps the candles lit through the finish line for a 4.802 and 316.75. .886/60ft., 2.291/330ft., 3.284/256.50-660ft., and 4.100/1000ft.

6:05 pm This is reported to be the last run of the weekend. Gary Scelzi has rushed back to make another license pass in Alan Johnson's Funny Car. All for naught, as he has to click it before the 330 foot lights. .903/60ft., 2.740/330ft.

Top Fuel

2:25 pm The 2002 McKinney "Forever Red" Budweiser dragster makes the burn out and Tim Richards says it's OK to go. He leaves with a remarkable .419 RT and runs to mid-track, where the tires start to smoke. .864/60ft., 2.184/330ft., and 3.151/247.84-660ft.

2:50 pm Tony Schumacher, left lane, runs it all the way through for a strong 4.588 at 313.88. .858/60ft., 2.156/330ft., 3.097/265.64-660ft., and 3.892/100

2:50 pm Doug Herbert, right lane, loses a blower belt and shuts it down. No 60ft., and 3.291/330ft.

2:56 pm Yuichi Oyama makes another great run with a 4.800 and 296.18. .878/60ft., 2.255/330ft., 3.218/256.94-660ft., and 4.058.

3:01 pm Larry Dixon steps up and hits a 4.526 at 305.84. .834/60ft., 2.134/330ft., 3.052/274.22-660ft., and 3.831/1000ft.

3:04 pm Ken Zeal runs hard, but has a flash and bang near the big end to slow to a 5.041 206.64. .861/60ft., 2.211/330ft., 3.155/266.48-660ft., 4.050/1000ft.

3:09 pm Bob Hallock's car starts to move around after the launch, he lifts, hits it again and starts to drop cylinders. .881/60ft. and 2.353/330ft.

3:40 pm Darrell Russell in Amato's Bilstein Engine Flush System dragster will be the last car until 4:30pm. He makes a strong 1000-foot run at 4.814 and 233.68. .829/60ft., 2.157/330ft., 3.104/266.21-660ft., 3.929/1000ft.

4:45 pm Gene Davis in the Davis and Zook TF dragster will start off the final session of the weekend with a licensing pass. He makes a squirt to the 100-foot mark and clicks it. .984/60ft. and 2.822/330ft.

5:04 pm Tony Schumacher, left lane, both cars make full runs earlier today, but they shut the army car off after the burn out for no apparent reason.

5:04 pm Larry Dixon, right lane, runs well to the finish with a 4.553 and 303.16. No sixty-foot number. 2.145/330ft., 3.072/272.45-660ft., and 3.852/1000ft.

5:10 pm Kenny Bernstein makes up for the earlier aborted pass and runs a big number on the top end with a 4.531 and 322.19. No 60foot time. 2.136/330ft., 3.058/271.19-660ft. and 3.843/1000ft.

Pro Stock Bike

2:46 pm Craig Treble can't improve, but still runs a respectable 7.236 at 188.52. 1.138/60ft., 3.046/330ft., 4.647/152.99-660ft. and 6.040/1000ft.

4:48 pm Craig picks it up to a 7.218 at 185.51. 1.121/60ft., 3.009/330ft., 4.605/153.14-660ft., and 6.006/1000ft.

Top Alcohol Funny Car

3:18 pm Pete Swayne has his hands full as the car makes a move toward the centerline near the 330 foot mark. .944/60ft. and 2.520/330ft.

3:30 pm Norm Hill in the Fix Auto FC has to lift on his pass. No 60foot time and 2.722/330ft.

Top Alcohol Dragster

2:40 pm David Baca will be the first racer in the afternoon session. He will be pleased as he makes a 1000-foot plus run and clicks it to run 5.578 and a slowing 198.70. .958/60ft., 2.437/330ft., 3.542/226.73-660ft., and 4.532/1000ft.

In the Super Eliminator (7.90) race, Bruce Williams and Scott Wells met again in a repeat of last nights final. Once again, Williams will take home the gold with a 7.968ET. Scott Wells was able to make the final yesterday, but breaks out today with a 7.924.

It's full dark, the pits are quiet and I am out of here!

Come back next week for the Tucson PRO reports by Darryl Jackman.