Sat, 30 Oct 2004, 08:27 PM Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fourth 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:

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Left Lane: Peter Russo Runs 5.290/286.13, Now #19; No Prior Run

4:33 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 28.04 inches, adjusted altitude 3,080 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

This will be Russo's first and only qualifying run. He makes a clean pass, no apparent problems, but doesn't make the field.

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Left Lane: Jack Wyatt Runs 5.575/202.85, Now #23; Best prior run: 9.181/88.89, Was #25
Right Lane: Dale Pulde Runs 5.333/270.86, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.476/267.37, Was #22

Wyatt makes it down the track on this run, but he still doesn't get close.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.857/316.52, Now #11; Best prior run: 7.393/116.00, Was #25
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 4.853/324.05, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.294/299.06, Was #20

Quickest passes of the weekend for both drivers, both move into the field for now.

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Left Lane: Bob Bode Runs 4.880/312.28, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.738/175.43, Was #25
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 6.338/144.35, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.074/300.53, Was #20

Bode makes his quickest pass of the weekend and gets into the field in the 15th spot. No help for Haddock.

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Left Lane: Stephen Neese Runs 5.257/284.39, Now #22; Best prior run: 5.364/268.06, Was #24
Right Lane: Jerry Toliver Runs 9.026/95.38, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.929/308.00, Was #19

Toliver gets about 200 feet out, strikes the tires, then gives up on the run. Neese doesn't qualify but runs a career quickest pass.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.901/316.45, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.939/311.99, Was #20

Head makes a good pas, his quickest and fastest ever in a funny car, but he doesn't make the show.

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Left Lane: Tony Bartone Runs 4.952/276.69, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.888/306.26, Was #17
Right Lane: Frank Pedregon Runs 4.997/282.54, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.885/300.46, Was #16

Bartone was on a decent pass, but the candles went out a little early.

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Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.775/320.58, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.877/317.94, Was #13
Right Lane: Bob Gilbertson Runs 4.905/310.13, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.880/316.60, Was #14

Pedregon makes a great pass, going right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend. Gilbertson makes a clean pass but wasn't close to Pedregon.

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Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.824/314.02, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.820/318.39, Was #9
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 4.894/315.64, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.870/318.47, Was #13

Capps is running a bracket car this weekend, three runs of 4.82. Pedregon makes another good run and stays in the 13th spot.

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Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 4.911/315.12, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.796/323.97, Was #7
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 4.772/326.95, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.841/318.77, Was #10

Bazemore finally gets the car running up to expectations and moves into the second spot.

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Left Lane: John Force Runs 4.777/319.75, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.786/327.43, Was #7
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.771/325.45, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.810/321.12, Was #9

A great side-by-side, both right down the groove, Densham moves up to the number two spot, Force stays in the seventh spot. The sevens are wild here in Vegas, the first seven drivers are in the 4.77's.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 11.413/84.55, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.772/322.42, Was #4

Scelzi hits the throttle and goes up in smoke.

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Left Lane: Eric Medlen Runs 4.849/272.12, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.770/322.11, Was #1
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.751/328.22, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.776/321.73, Was #6

Worsham fires a shot here, making the quickest pass of the round and the weekend to take the pole. This does it for qualifying, Worsham on the pole taking on Frank Pedregon.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink