NHRA News: National Time Trials Saturday report (2/7/2004)

National Time Trials Saturday report

Reporting by Darryl Jackman of FastNews
Testing photos by Racers Edge Photography
Team reports
2/7/2004

Saturday Race Report No. 1 from the National Time Trails at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix – We are finally under way at about 12:30 p.m. The weather at the beginning of the session looks like this: 66 degrees, 17-percent humidity, and full sunlight on the racing surface. The first few cars down the track were a little bit loose so they action stopped so workers could spray again. Eric Medlin was pulled out of line and word is they went back to their pit area to change a pulley.

11:52 a.m. Scott Lewis PSB: 1.107 3.082 4.711 148.84 6.150 7.395 179.56 First full pass of the day for a Pro Stock Bike.

12:00 p.m. Tony Pedregon FC: .889 2.456 Pedregon has severe tire shake at about 60 feet and shuts off.

12:00 p.m. Phil Burkart FC .912 2.480 Burkart has the same tire shake problem in the right lane and leaves a pair of dotted lines for tire tracks.

12:05 p.m. Doug Herbert TF: .831 2.341 Another case of shake claims Herbert.

12:05 p.m. Brady Kalivoda TF: 1.031 Kalivoda is up in smoke almost instantly in Bill Miller's new racecar. Don Long still builds a beautiful chassis.

12:12 p.m. Gary Scelzi FC: .892 2.322 3.328 4.176 4.997 251.58 Scelzi makes it to about 1,000 feet before the engine started to feast on itself. Close to a full pass.

12:12 p.m. Tony Bartone FC: A very poor burn out for Bartone and when the light came down all he could do was idle away.

1:18 p.m. Cruz Pedregon FC: .902 Cruz with early problems.

1:18 p.m. Jerry Toliver FC: .923 Toliver has the same problem in the right lane and calls it off early.

1:30 p.m. Brandon Bernstein TF: .826 2.159 3.117 Bernstein gets almost to half track before the tires begin to spin hard.

1:35 p.m. Ron Capps FC: .893 2.150 Capps off the pedal after 330.

1:35 p.m. John Force FC: .901 2.500 Force shakes the tires loose before 330.

1:45 p.m. David Grubnic TF: .846 2.505 More Goodyear smoke for Grubnic in the Kalitta car.

1:45 p.m. Larry Dixon TF: .854 2.188 More tire smoke right at the 60-foot marker.

2:00 p.m. Gary Densham FC: .918 Densham suffers the same problem the boss did, shake and smoke.

2:00 p.m. Whit Bazemore FC: .902 2.480 This was side by side as Densham was in the other lane. Still shake before 60 feet.

2:10 p.m. Doug Kalitta TF: .841 2.159 Kalitta leaves hard but the belt falls off just at 330.

2:10 p.m. Clay Millican TF: .862 More early smoke.

2:10 p.m. Tim Wilkerson FC: .895 Wilkerson's engine sounded strange when he staged and kicked the tires loose just like all the rest.

2:15 p.m. Tony Schumacher TF: .841 2.181 3.154 253.52 4.004 4.893 224.88 This wasn't near a full pass but it's the most exciting thing that's happened in a while. The engine was eating itself after half track and he clicked it early.

2:25 p.m. Jim Head FC: .944 2.435 3.505 230.45 This was a pretty good pass until just before half track. Head shut the Toyota off and coasted on out. This was the final car of the first session.

Saturday Race Report No. 2 from the National Time Trails at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix – The first session was mostly 60 to 200-foot hits with lost of smoke thrown in for the effort. This session we may see a few adjustments.

3:00 p.m. Eric Medlin FC: .889 2.340 3.365 240.68 4.267 5.178 226.32 Medlin makes it to just before 1,000 feet and the engine started hurting itself.

3:00 p.m. Gary Scelzi FC: .898 2.317 3.330 251.02 4.183 4.938 290.38 Scelzi sets the Funny Car mark for the weekend even lower. He hurts some engine parts as seen by the speed.

3:10 p.m. Tony Pedregon FC: .892 2.378 3.591 183.39 4.973 6.481 137.72 Tony shuts off early as the car seemed to skate just a bit.

3:10 p.m. Tommy Johnson Jr FC: .887 2.764 Johnson smokes the tires almost at the hit.

3:20 p.m. Scott Kalitta TF: .877 Scott Kalitta smokes the tires just after the hit and clicks it off.

3:20 p.m. Doug Herbert TF: .878 2.216 3.170 264.70 4.091 5.099 205.85 Herbert is off the pedal early.

3:30 p.m. Jerry Toliver FC: .904 2.398 3.447 239.57 4.337 5.164 254.23 Toliver lifted early but gets in a nice pass.

3:30 p.m. Cruz Pedregon FC: .903 Cruz with early problems.

3:40 p.m. Brady Kalivoda TF: .870 2.230 Kalivoda rattles the tires loose right at the 60-foot markers.

3:40 p.m. Brandon Bernstein TF: .835 2.177 3.160 Bernstein just about duplicates his earlier run.

3:50 p.m. John Force FC: .870 2.350 3.420 231.64 4.333 5.131 271.19 Force's Mustang mixed cylinders after half track and he kind of sputtered across the stripe.

3:50 p.m. Whit Bazemore FC: .897 2.350 3.398 242.84 4.263 5.061 260.91 Bazemore was paired with Force on this run and it appeared neither of them would lift. Bazemore hurt some parts on the top end as well.

4:05 p.m. Ron Capps FC: .886 2.321 3.331 245.76 4.249 5.239 208.65 More injures to engine parts.

4:05 p.m. Phil Burkart FC: .891 2.324 3.395 217.84 Burkart clicks it early.

4:15 p.m. Gary Densham FC: .892 More tire smoke at 60 feet.

4:15 p.m. Del Worsham FC: .891 2.311 3.322 251.02 4.209 5.276 175.55 Worsham snakes the car to 1,000 feet and shuts it off.

4:25 p.m. Larry Dixon TF: .848 2.188 3.108 272.50 3.894 4.616 287.29 They seem to be avoiding that last 150 feet this afternoon. Dixon has the chute out by 1,000 feet. That last 100 feet does a lot of damage.

4:25 p.m. Doug Kalitta TF: .833 That .833 was just a bit too much for the racing surface and Kalitta kicks the tires loose.

4:35 p.m. Clay Millican TF: .886 2.215 3.156 258.96 4.124 5.182 195.42 Millican clicks it early.

4:35 p.m. Tony Schumacher TF: .830 2.129 3.077 264.75 3.887 4.610 293.03 This was close to a full pass. Notice both the 60 and 330 numbers.

4:45 p.m. Tim Wilkerson FC: .886 Wilkerson is the last Pro car of the session and the Goodyears were smoking before 60 feet.

Saturday Race Report No. 3 from the National Time Trails at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix – It's starting to cool off and the word is a few of cars won't make this final session. Temperature is currently 57 degrees with a cool wind.

6:20 p.m. David Grubnic TF: .834 2.132 3.103 230.41 This looked like a pretty stout half pass check out.

6:30 p.m. Darrell Russell TF: .840 2.167 3.139 243.41 Looked like another half track shut off.

6:35 p.m. Whit Bazemore FC: .884 2.332 3.374 244.12 4.231 5.031 258.37 Bazemore was hot, straight and true but clicked it early.

6:35 p.m. Gary Scelzi FC: .896 Pretty nasty tire shake claims Scelzi's run.

6:37 p.m. Phil Burkart Jr FC: .880 2.290 Burkart gets loose in the CSK car and has to lift.

6:40 p.m. Tony Pedregon FC: .889 2.344 3.458 225.30 Pedregon has the engine go flat and he shuts it down. The car was drifting towards the wall to boot so he pulled the chutes early and straightened it out.

6:42 p.m. Del Worsham FC: .889 Worsham only goes about 60 feet and lifts as well. These runs are all in the favored right lane, by the way.

6:46 p.m. Jerry Toliver FC: .893 Toliver goes 60 feet and spins the tires. Getting to be a pattern here.

6:50 p.m. Tommy Johnson Jr FC: .888 2.337 Johnson makes a move towards the wall and lifts.

6:55 p.m. Doug Herbert TF: .871 2.196 3.138 267.64 3.935 4.676 278.17 Best pass of the weekend for Herbert despite an early lift.

7:00 p.m. Jim Head FC: .912 Head has the Toyota turn left on him right off the line.

7:04 p.m. David Baca TF: .997 Instant smoke for Baca.

7:07 p.m. Eric Medlin FC: .891 It's getting cold out there folks.

7:09 p.m. Cruz Pedregon FC: .889 This was so bad there were pieces coming out of the pipes at the hit. Very nasty looking.

7:15 p.m. John Force FC: .878 Force gave the pedal a slap before 60 feet but couldn't save the run.

7:20 p.m. Brandon Bernstein TF: .849 Nice wheels up leave but tire smoke claims the run at 60 feet.

7:25 p.m. Doug Kalitta TF: .831 Kalitta has the best short time of the session but rattles the tires.

7:27 p.m. Tim Wilkerson FC: .883 2.324 3.578 Just plain nasty for Wilkerson. Big shower of sparks under the car says something broke in the drive line.

7:35 p.m. Brady Kalivoda TF: .865 Another hard leave and he shuts it off.

7:45 p.m. Clay Millican TF: .854 2.184 3.096 273.72 3.996 4.993 205.38 Had to include a full set of numbers for the fuel cars even though Millican lifted early.

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