Sat, 7 Oct 2000, 08:08 PM MEMPHIS - Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Rowe

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the 13th annual AutoZone Nationals presented by Pennzoil 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: Bob Gilbertson Runs 5.095/245.81, Now #19; Best prior run: 7.742/98.01, Was #21
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 6.768/135.51, Now #22; Best prior run: 10.752/89.50, Was #22

5:43 PM Gilbertson gets a little out of the groove and will not make the field. Haddock made it a little past half-track when the engine goes up in flames. Fire engulfs the car and he has to get up against the wall to get the car stopped. He finally gets the escape hatch open and climbs over the wall to safety.

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Left Lane: Phil Burkart No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.026/295.92, Was #17
Right Lane: Dale Creasy Jr. Runs 12.861/69.04, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.369/260.11, Was #21

Burkart can't get the car in reverse after the burnout and he has to drive off the track. Creasy goes up in smoke about 100 feet out.

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Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 11.097/80.66, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.007/278.98, Was #14
Right Lane: Cristen Powell Runs 5.139/269.73, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.145/218.09, Was #20

Powell starts off on a good run but starts mixing up cylinders around the 1000-foot mark. Skuza goes up in smoke right off the line.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.958/300.20, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.003/299.40, Was #13
Right Lane: Louis Sweet Runs 5.539/193.40, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.074/239.57, Was #18

Worsham makes his best pass of the weekend and gets in the ninth spot. Sweet has an engine explosion at about half-track and the car continues to burn all the way through the lights. He climbs out the top while the car is still rolling, waits for it to stop and jumps off.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.871/308.64, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.972/295.40, Was #11

6:30 PM Were back after another cleanup. Wilkerson was on a great pass yesterday until he lost a blower belt. He keeps everything together on this run and jumps into the second spot.

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Left Lane: Jim Epler Runs 17.106/63.78, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.971/295.53, Was #11
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 12.313/74.42, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.985/294.43, Was #12

Epler goes up in smoke right off the line. Sarver gets about 60 feet out and smokes the tires.

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Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.917/302.41, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.952/294.18, Was #8

Pedregon keeps the candles lit all the way down the track and moves up four spots. We have some single runs, several drivers choosing not to make a final qualifying pass.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.893/302.89, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.940/300.53, Was #8
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.876/302.21, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.931/299.86, Was #6

Bazemore is running the body off his spare car, the other was damaged in his earlier blower explosion. This was a great drag race. They were glued together all the way down the track, only .004 apart at half-track and doing the same MPH (248.71). Capps has a small explosion just as he goes through the traps.

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Left Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 13.693/57.98, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.936/267.27, Was #8
Right Lane: Scotty Cannon Runs 11.602/58.67, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.920/308.85, Was #7

Both cars go up in smoke right off the line.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.881/299.80, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.870/304.94, Was #1
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 7.518/108.30, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.896/302.28, Was #5

Toliver gets sideways at half-track and has to back off the throttle. Force has a small fire just as he goes through the lights. That ends qualifying and Force will be taking on Hoffman in round one tomorrow.