Drag Race Central | Presented by Summitracing.com

Sat, 26 Oct 2002, 06:39 PM

Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Darryl Jackman

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual ACDelco Las Vegas 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:

Right Lane: Stephen Neese No Time, Now #25; Best prior run: 28.000/0.00, Was #25

Steve Neese has had his problems so far this weekend. It doesn't get any better here as he smacks the orange markers at half track and shatters them both. He had been drifting towards the center line and had to horse it back twice before striking the cones. One of the markers is actually impaled in the nose of the Camaro. Again it's no time or speed.

Left Lane: Cory Lee Runs 5.149/289.51, Now #19; Best prior run: 8.587/100.13, Was #23
Right Lane: Todd Paton Runs 5.245/225.18, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.103/293.03, Was #17

Paton begins this session only .01 outside the field. Lee has a lot of work to do. As soon as Paton hits the pedal there was raw fuel coming out of at least one hole on the drivers side of the engine. He clicks it early. Lee improves a bunch but winds up stuck in the #19 spot.

Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 10.682/79.01, Now #24; Best prior run: 9.720/85.32, Was #24
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.891/313.00, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.015/294.11, Was #12

Burkart makes it back for round three after a nasty oil down last evening. Certainly took some parts out of the bin. Burkart smokes the tires hard at about 100 feet and clicks it right away. Capps picks up over a tenth and will have one more shot a bit later. Conditions are changing just a bit as it's beginning to warm up. Still cloud cover and a track temperature of 74.

Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.956/311.27, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.094/251.20, Was #16
Right Lane: Louis Sweet Runs 9.817/84.13, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.518/138.03, Was #21

Pedregon breaths a big sigh as he gets well off the bump spot. That was a really nice looking pass. Down the middle of the lane and no smoke or oil. Sweet had a .935 60 foot number but the car fell silent within a few feet after that mark.

Left Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 4.835/318.54, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.864/313.07, Was #4
Right Lane: Keith Jackson Runs 5.112/295.21, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.112/293.92, Was #18

Jackson ties his career best ET that he set in the first round of qualifying. What a bracket racers. Cannon picks up .03 but no spots in the field. He said post race that the car has been trying to turn right on him and it did it again on that pass.

Left Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 4.976/295.46, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.039/307.30, Was #14
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.703/179.92, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.193/270.70, Was #20

Creasy improves but it was costly. Nearing the finish there was a big flash of fire and he began slowing. It appeared he starting mixing cylinders at about half track and ended with a big bang that took out the burst panel and bathed the car in fire from the underside. Peanut was none to pleased about the turn of events and the scorched body. Haddock was more sedate in the other lane but he too was off the pedal early and will need the final attempt to make the show.

Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 10.872/84.54, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.965/311.49, Was #13
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 4.877/315.64, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.075/227.80, Was #16

We've made it into the already qualified cars in the show. Sarver lighted one up pretty good last night and right now he sits on the bubble. Nice run for the Toyota but I bet Sarver was sitting just a bit lower in the seat from 1000 feet on. Off the bubble and into the top half of the show. Gray was into some shake and clicked it early. Bob Gilbertson is on the bump with the last five second time slip still in the field.

Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.930/302.82, Now #13; Best prior run: 7.829/109.72, Was #23
Right Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 6.444/138.74, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.915/311.13, Was #12

Mikres puts a medium tune up on the Pontiac and Bode is in the show. Pedregon started to spin the tires and clicks it off.

Left Lane: Peter Russo Runs 7.237/121.28, Now #23; Best prior run: 7.685/192.74, Was #23
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 6.132/152.42, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.882/310.91, Was #9

Peter and Helen Russo must feel like they were bor under a bad sign. Here from Australia trying to qualify for their first ever NHRA show they've had multiple problems. Here he has a .921 60 foot number and has the blower belt fall off. One pass left to make it this weekend. Skuza has his own set of problems and shuts off early.

Left Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.925/312.13, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.041/306.81, Was #17
Right Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.977/250.23, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.879/310.27, Was #8

Gilbertson is qualified #17 in a sixteen car show. He takes car of that right here and is not in the field at #13. Wilkerson's ride appeared to nose over and he clicked it early. He remains #8. Gray is on the bump at 4.965.

Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 11.639/81.66, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.900/312.42, Was #11
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.856/318.84, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.878/309.49, Was #7

TJ's car was never in the run as he carded a .952 60 footer and clicked it shortly after that. Worsham cements his spot in the top half with a nice 4.85.

Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.833/303.43, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.875/302.75, Was #6
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.835/321.50, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.809/321.73, Was #3

Nice side by side qualifying shot. Densham moves up two spots and Bazemore stays right in front of him in #3. Both cars were in the middle of the lane and there wasn't a whisp of smoke or oil.

Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.816/NSR, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.786/322.73, Was #1
Right Lane: John Force Runs 4.804/319.98, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.793/322.81, Was #2

Classic match up of the two contenders for title. Force beats Tony to the finish but still can't come up with the last .03 and take over the qualifying lead. That was the final pair of round three of qualifying. On to Pro Mod.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink