FUNNY CAR
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Funny Car at the 13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals, listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, position in order following run.:
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the 13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone 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.:
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Funny Car at the 13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone 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.:
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Funny Car at the 13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone 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.:
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the
13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals:
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the
13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals:
Friday's 1st Session
Right Lane: Jerry Caminito Runs 13.256/ 67.44 Psn # 1
3:42 PM ... A few clouds have rolled in, still 77 degrees, 63%
humidity. And we start with a local-guy solo run, and he's way
light on the clutch, going nowhere fast, so he clicks it before
halftrack.
Left Lane: Bob Weickgen't Runs 8.927/ 92.18 Psn # 1
The first time ever in a nitro Funny Car for Weickgenannt,
and he clicks it at 300'...
Left Lane: Kenji Okazaki Runs 7.897/110.13 Psn # 1
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 8.687/ 96.54 Psn # 2
Now we get some side-by-side action... And they're both up
in smoke by 200'.
Left Lane: Wyatt Radke Runs 9.980/ 71.57 Psn # 5
Right Lane: Dale Creasy, Jr. Runs 9.137/ 83.95 Psn # 4
Radke hazes the tires and heads for the centerline, all before
200' out, while Creasy smokes, pedals, and smokes again.
Left Lane: Randy Anderson Runs 8.730/ 89.38 Psn # 3
Right Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 11.034/ 70.04 Psn # 7
Two more cars, two more trails of tire smoke...
Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 5.124/284.90 Psn # 1
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 7.973/106.00 Psn # 3
Worsham follows the up-in-smoke crowd, while Capps proves
that it is possible to run the full 1320' without trailing huge clouds
of white smoke. Hats off to the Cope crew!
Left Lane: Tom Hoover Runs 8.352/ 97.71 Psn # 5
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 5.588/247.18 Psn # 2
Jungle Pam is once again backing up Bazemore, after her
successful run at Indy... it's really great to see her back in the
sport. And Bazemore hazes the tires at halftrack, pedals, and
leaves it on the mat even though he ran the last 500' with huge
clouds of tire smoke trailing... Hoover smoked 'em early.
Left Lane: Mark Oswald Runs 7.432/116.02 Psn # 3
Epler was in the right side for this pair, but pulled out of line...
More tire smoke, for Oswald.
Left Lane: Gary Densham No Time Psn #15
Right Lane: Freddie Neely Runs 7.230/115.42 Psn # 3
Neely made it to halftrack before smoking the hides;
Densham didn't get that far, shut off on the line because of a
leak...
Left Lane: John Force Runs 5.133/300.50 Psn # 2
Right Lane: Chuck Etchells Runs 5.510/202.33 Psn # 3
Etchells was hooked up until the last 300', when the tire
smoke started billowing, while Force was way soft on the bottom
end but he made it up on the top end, bigtime.
Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.273/285.98 Psn # 3
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 5.389/262.62 Psn # 4
Skuza continues to score big points with the crowd in the
burnout competition, the fans screaming when he motors all the
way out to 1000'... Looks like his engine expired at 1200', while
Tony's didn't emit the aluminum cloud until just past the stripe...
4:23 PM
FUNNY CAR
Friday's 1st Session Notes
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Order after one round of qualifying in Funny Car
at the 13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals:
Psn Driver ET Speed
1 Ron Capps 5.124 284.90
2 John Force 5.133 300.50
3 Tony Pedregon 5.273 285.98
4 Dean Skuza 5.389 262.62
5 Chuck Etchells 5.510 202.33
6 Whit Bazemore 5.588 247.18
7 Freddie Neely 7.230 115.42
8 Mark Oswald 7.432 116.02
9 Kenji Okazaki 7.897 110.13
10 Del Worsham 7.973 106.00
11 Tom Hoover 8.352 97.71
12 Cruz Pedregon 8.687 96.54
13 Randy Anderson 8.730 89.38
14 Bob Weickgen't 8.927 92.18
15 Dale Creasy, Jr. 9.137 83.95
16 Wyatt Radke 9.980 71.57
--------- Not Qualified ---------
17 Al Hofmann 11.034 70.04
18 Jerry Caminito 13.256 67.44
19 Gary Densham No Time
FUNNY CAR
Friday's 2nd Session
Left Lane: Al Hofmann Runs 5.081/289.48 Now # 1
Best prior run: 11.034/ 70.04 Was #17
Right Lane: Wyatt Radke Runs 6.397/140.99 Now # 8
Best prior run: 9.980/ 71.57 Was #16
8:02 PM and we start the round with the second-best pass
that Hofmann has put together since his crash at Gainesville
earlier this year... the only one better was his 5.04 at Dallas.
Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 5.168/298.21 Now # 5
Best prior run: 7.973/106.00 Was #12
Right Lane: Randy Anderson Runs 5.136/285.53 Now # 4
Best prior run: 8.730/ 89.38 Was #15
Looks like these guys are getting a handle on this track, both
cars clean and dry all the way thru...
Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 5.032/305.49 Now # 1
Best prior run: 5.588/247.18 Was # 9
Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 11.439/ 76.05 Now # 3
Best prior run: 5.124/284.90 Was # 2
Bazemore takes the pole, as well as the track speed record,
just a bonus... Couldn't tell what happened to Capps, no smoke,
maybe shake?? He was certainly right there with Whit until he
clicked it at about 300' out.
Left Lane: Jim Epler Runs 5.160/294.11 Now # 6
No prior time
Right Lane: Tom Hoover Runs 6.748/129.85 Now #12
Best prior run: 8.352/ 97.71 Was #14
Epler, Smith & Co. knew that they didn't have the right
tune-up this afternoon, so they pulled out of line... no problems
tonight, the car straight and true to the finish stripe... In the other
lane, Hoover is having all sorts of problems, smoking and
skating over toward the centerline at halftrack... so he pulled the
plug.
Left Lane: Freddie Neely Runs 5.114/267.69 Now # 3
Best prior run: 7.230/115.42 Was #13
Right Lane: Mark Oswald Runs 6.397/148.31 Now #12
Best prior run: 7.432/116.02 Was #14
Neely was spewing sparklies out the headers from the 800'
mark on, but it didn't seem to bother him, while the sparklies
started from the In-N-Out machine as soon as he hit the throttle,
then the tire smoke trailed starting at the 500' mark so he clicked
it... again. The Safety Safari is rolling to clean up the remains of
Neely's engine, so we're down for a short break... 8:17 PM
Left Lane: Chuck Etchells Runs 4.982/309.91 Now # 1
Best prior run: 5.510/202.33 Was #11
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.676/177.93 Now #12
No prior time
8:31 PM and we're back... Etchells becomes the first Funny
Car into the fours here at Maple Grove, setting the track record
by a nice margin. It was a picture-perfect pass, and the fastest
speed ever run by the Connecticut-based Avenger. Densham &
Co. repaired their leaky rear-end housing and made the call
here, but they still had to click it early this lap.
Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 5.103/303.95 Now # 4
Best prior run: 5.389/262.62 Was #11
Right Lane: John Force Runs 5.121/296.44 Now # 6
Best prior run: 5.133/300.50 Was # 6
Skuza won the burnout contest by a mile, here... well,
actually it was more like 2-300 feet... and he won the drag race,
too, and a heck of a side-by-side matchup it was. On the top
end, we hear Force say his Ford got loose in the mid-part of the
track, killing just enough ET to let Skuza by...
Left Lane: Jerry Caminito Runs 11.084/ 80.89 Now #20
Best prior run: 13.256/ 67.44 Was #20
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 12.301/ 75.35 Now #11
Best prior run: 5.273/285.98 Was #11
Both drivers were off the throttles by 200', and Caminito
actually coasted across the centerline and got pretty close to
Pedregon's Mustang...
Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.167/279.41 Now #10
Best prior run: 8.687/ 96.54 Was #17
Right Lane: Kenji Okazaki Runs 11.468/ 77.74 Now #17
Best prior run: 7.897/110.13 Was #16
Cruz gets into the show and bumps out Kenji, who shut off
almost instantly when the tires shook hard... Cruz had the
laundry out just past 1100', the engine obviously going away
before that.
Left Lane: Dale Creasy, Jr. Runs 10.981/ 74.21 Now #19
Best prior run: 9.137/ 83.95 Was #19
Up in smoke, here... and that's all the floppers. 8:46 PM and
Risk is up next, with the Top Fools...
FUNNY CAR
Friday's 2nd Session Notes
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Order after 2 rounds of qualifying in Funny Car
at the 13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals:
Psn Driver ET Speed
1 Chuck Etchells 4.982@ 309.91&
2 Whit Bazemore 5.032 305.49
3 Al Hofmann 5.081 289.48
4 Dean Skuza 5.103 303.95
5 Freddie Neely 5.114 267.69
6 John Force 5.121 296.44
7 Ron Capps 5.124 284.90
8 Randy Anderson 5.136 285.53
9 Jim Epler 5.160 294.11
10 Cruz Pedregon 5.167 279.41
11 Del Worsham 5.168 298.21
12 Tony Pedregon 5.273 285.98
13 Gary Densham 5.676 177.93
14 Mark Oswald 6.397 148.31
15 Wyatt Radke 6.397 140.99
16 Tom Hoover 6.748 129.85
--------- Not Qualified ---------
17 Kenji Okazaki 7.897 110.13
18 Bob Weickgen't 8.927 92.18
19 Dale Creasy, Jr. 9.137 83.95
20 Jerry Caminito 11.084 80.89
@ = Track ET Record
& = Track MPH Record
FUNNY CAR
Saturday's 3rd Session
Left Lane: Ron Capps Runs 7.789/108.08 Now # 7
Best prior run: 5.124/284.90 Was # 7
Right Lane: Chuck Etchells Runs 5.793/170.16 Now # 1
Best prior run: 4.982/309.91 Was # 1
1:25 PM ... Still mostly clouds skies, with occasional bursts
of sunshine, 75 degrees, 66% humidity... And both runs go sour,
Capps hanging on until halftrack until he went up in smoke, then
Etchells following with 'sympathy smoke', I guess...
Left Lane: Tom Hoover Runs 7.526/110.66 Now #16
Best prior run: 6.748/129.85 Was #16
Right Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 8.808/ 87.80 Now # 4
Best prior run: 5.103/303.95 Was # 4
Neither car really aggressive off the line, with mid-0.9 second
60' clockings, but when the clutches locking up it was smoke
city...
Left Lane: Mark Oswald Runs 5.328/268.41 Now #13
Best prior run: 6.397/148.31 Was #14
Right Lane: Jerry Caminito Runs 7.624/114.91 Now #17
Best prior run: 11.084/ 80.89 Was #20
Bill Schultz backs way down on his tune-up and gets Oswald
safely into the show... The sparklies last night turned out to be
small burrs in the new headers, left by the manufacturing
process, being burned away by the heat from the exhaust...
there was no damage at all to the engine.
Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 10.017/ 80.56 Now #14
Best prior run: 5.676/177.93 Was #14
Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 5.809/172.34 Now #10
Best prior run: 5.167/279.41 Was #10
Densham's incrementals were right with Etchells yesterday,
until they lost traction... same result befalls them today, up in
smoke at 300' this time... Pedregon was off and on the throttle
but couldn't save the run.
Left Lane: John Force Runs 5.466/227.56 Now # 6
Best prior run: 5.121/296.44 Was # 6
Right Lane: Dale Creasy, Jr. Runs 6.051/173.94 Now #15
Best prior run: 9.137/ 83.95 Was #20
Creasy's 6.05 is enough to get him into the show, bumping
Hoover's 6.74... that leaves only Wyatt Radke in between them,
at 6.397 on the bubble... From the top end we hear Force say
he thought he was going to be OK until it struck the tires at
800'...
Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 5.339/258.76 Now #12
Best prior run: 5.273/285.98 Was #12
Tony had the same problems as Force; the only difference
was that he tried to drive thru it... didn't work.. A lot of smoke
out of the engine at the finishline, and the Safety Safari sweeper
will head out to suck up the remains... 1:43 PM, now.
Left Lane: Bob Weickgen't Runs 9.526/ 86.32 Now #20
Best prior run: 8.927/ 92.18 Was #20
1:46 PM and we're back... Looks like several of the
competitors opted to pass on today's session, including Epler
who is helping out on the P.A. here... More tire smoke, here.
Left Lane: Kenji Okazaki Runs 5.371/283.37 Now #14
Best prior run: 7.897/110.13 Was #19
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 10.505/ 81.41 Now #11
Best prior run: 5.168/298.21 Was #11
Kenji was right on the edge of smoking the tires, and in fact
he may have pedalled just a bit at 300', but whatever he did it
worked, the car making the show and bumping Radke in the
process... More tire smoke in the right side, here.
Left Lane: Wyatt Radke Runs 7.074/127.96 Now #17
Best prior run: 6.397/140.99 Was #17
Right Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 5.749/176.09 Now # 2
Best prior run: 5.032/305.49 Was # 2
More disappointments for the crews, here... Radke lifted by
the 300' mark, while Whit made it all the way to the eighth-mile
before he lost traction...
Left Lane: Randy Anderson Runs 8.912/ 95.08 Now # 8
Best prior run: 5.136/285.53 Was # 8
Anderson made it to the bump at 250' then joined the rest of
his peers... 1:56 PM and it's Dale Creasy in the bump, and
Chuck Etchells hanging onto the pole from last night.
FUNNY CAR
Saturday's 3rd Session Notes
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Order after 3 rounds of qualifying in Funny Car
at the 13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals:
Psn Driver ET Speed
1 Chuck Etchells 4.982@ 309.91&
2 Whit Bazemore 5.032 305.49
3 Al Hofmann 5.081 289.48
4 Dean Skuza 5.103 303.95
5 Freddie Neely 5.114 267.69
6 John Force 5.121 296.44
7 Ron Capps 5.124 284.90
8 Randy Anderson 5.136 285.53
9 Jim Epler 5.160 294.11
10 Cruz Pedregon 5.167 279.41
11 Del Worsham 5.168 298.21
12 Tony Pedregon 5.273 285.98
13 Mark Oswald 5.328 268.41
14 Kenji Okazaki 5.371 283.37
15 Gary Densham 5.676 177.93
16 Dale Creasy, Jr. 6.051 173.94
--------- Not Qualified ---------
17 Wyatt Radke 6.397 140.99
18 Tom Hoover 6.748 129.85
19 Jerry Caminito 7.624 114.91
20 Bob Weickgen't 8.927 92.18
@ = Track ET Record
& = Track MPH Record
FUNNY CAR
Saturday's 4th Session
Left Lane: Dean Skuza Runs 9.304/ 88.50 Now # 4
Best prior run: 5.103/303.95 Was # 4
Right Lane: Mark Oswald Runs 5.186/286.80 Now #12
Best prior run: 5.328/268.41 Was #13
5:31 PM ... The Last Hurrah, here, it's do or die time for the
folks like Wyatt Radke, Tom Hoover, etc. who need to better
Dale Creasy, Jr.'s 6.051 to vault into the show... Here, the
In-N-Out Burger car finally gets a full shot and still moves up just
one slot...
Left Lane: Jerry Caminito Runs 6.654/240.83 Now #18
Best prior run: 7.624/114.91 Was #19
Right Lane: Gary Densham Runs 5.149/283.37 Now # 9
Best prior run: 5.676/177.93 Was #15
Densham's had nothing but problems this weekend, and they
continue here, lots of sparks and stuff coming out of the car on
the top end... Gary comes out the hatch on the top end, along
with a lotta smoke, and the Safety Safari trucks take to the
track. We see a huge puddle of liquid forming under the NEC
machine in the shutdown area, so this one may take a while.
Still, Densham kept his foot in it and moves up into the safe
zone. Caminito smoked, then pedalled, but it was to no avail...
5:36 PM, and we watch the Safari trucks spread their magic...
Left Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 7.074/115.85 Now #11
Best prior run: 5.167/279.41 Was #11
Right Lane: John Force Runs 5.013/294.69 Now # 2
Best prior run: 5.121/296.44 Was # 6
5:48 PM ... Cruz slips over to the left, out of the groove, and
loses traction, while Force tracks right down the center of the
lane and steps up ahead of Neely, Skuza, Hofmann, and
Bazemore...
Left Lane: Dale Creasy, Jr. Runs 8.396/101.14 Now #16
Best prior run: 6.051/173.94 Was #16
Right Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 7.494/113.43 Now #14
Best prior run: 5.273/285.98 Was #14
Creasy wants nothing to do with that 16th spot... but that's
where he'll stay, for now, as he's up in smoke by the 330' mark...
just like Pedregon.
Left Lane: Del Worsham No Time Now #12
Best prior run: 5.168/298.21 Was #12
Right Lane: Bob Weickgen't Runs 5.545/221.18 Now #16
Best prior run: 8.927/ 92.18 Was #20
Weickgenannt gets it together and bumps Creasy, Jr. from
the show, in his nitro Funny Car debut... Worsham completed
the burnout but shut off before he staged the Avenger...
Left Lane: Whit Bazemore Runs 9.832/ 82.34 Now # 3
Best prior run: 5.032/305.49 Was # 3
Right Lane: Kenji Okazaki Runs 6.964/127.44 Now #15
Best prior run: 5.371/283.37 Was #15
Left Lane: Jim Epler Runs 11.693/ 74.49 Now #10
Best prior run: 5.160/294.11 Was #10
Right Lane: Wyatt Radke Runs 5.258/240.89 Now #14
Best prior run: 6.397/140.99 Was #18
Radke moves the beautiful Mirage fuel coupe into the show,
bumping Weickgenannt from the party and moving Kenji onto
the bubble... at 5.371.
Left Lane: Chuck Etchells Runs 10.565/ 76.51 Now # 1
Best prior run: 4.982/309.91 Was # 1
Right Lane: Randy Anderson Runs 5.469/271.57 Now # 8
Best prior run: 5.136/285.53 Was # 8
Etchells boils the hides as soon as he left the concrete
surface for the asphalt of Maple Grove Raceway... that may
have been the last car, there's no one left in the lanes...
Right Lane: Tom Hoover Runs 5.204/278.37 Now #14
Best prior run: 6.748/129.85 Was #20
And just when we thought we were done, Hoover & Co.
comes roaring thru the staging lanes... OK, maybe they weren't
roaring, but they weren't meandering, either... Regardless,
Hoover is suited up and ready to run, so he'll take his shot at
bettering Kenji's 5.371 to make the Big Show... And he does it,
sidelining the Big Bud Champion...
Now Ron Capps decides not to run, a problem with his seat
belt contributing to the decision. So the field is set, Etchells
hanging onto all the bonus money, and facing off against Tony
Pedregon tomorrow. 6:17 PM and the pro categories are done
for the day...
FUNNY CAR
Saturday's 4th Session Notes
MOHNTON, PA - RIS - Final order after 4 rounds of qualifying in Funny Car
at the 13th annual Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals:
Psn Driver ET Speed
1 Chuck Etchells 4.982@ 309.91&
2 John Force 5.013 294.69
3 Whit Bazemore 5.032 305.49
4 Al Hofmann 5.081 289.48
5 Dean Skuza 5.103 303.95
6 Freddie Neely 5.114 267.69
7 Ron Capps 5.124 284.90
8 Randy Anderson 5.136 285.53
9 Gary Densham 5.149 283.37
10 Jim Epler 5.160 294.11
11 Cruz Pedregon 5.167 279.41
12 Del Worsham 5.168 298.21
13 Mark Oswald 5.186 286.80
14 Tom Hoover 5.204 278.37
15 Wyatt Radke 5.258 240.89
16 Tony Pedregon 5.273 285.98
--------- Not Qualified ---------
17 Kenji Okazaki 5.371 283.37
18 Bob Weickgen't 5.545 221.18
19 Dale Creasy, Jr. 6.051 173.94
20 Jerry Caminito 6.654 240.83
@ = Track ET Record
& = Track MPH Record
FUNNY CAR
Sunday's 1st Round
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Cruz Pedregon 0.504 5.544 248.89
(L) Freddie Neely 0.498 9.418 81.38
12:11 PM .... Overcast skies, 74 degrees, 65% humidity,
great conditions for a drag race. This one was all Pedregon, but
it didn't look that way at the start, as Neely visibly moved first
and led Pedregon past the tree... But unfortunately Neely's car
was driving toward the centerline right from the start, and he was
forced to lift. Cruz pedalled to get thru some top end tire smoke,
but Freddie had already given up.
(W) Jim Epler 0.504 5.459 263.85
(L) Ron Capps 0.489 5.994 244.83
This one became a pedalling contest, Capps off to a big lead
in the first eighth-mile, but the car smoked the tires first and
worse, and Epler was able to pedal his way to the finish in the
Paul Smith-owned machine...
(W) Chuck Etchells 0.501 5.127 303.13
(L) Tony Pedregon 0.491 5.456 248.27
This isn't exactly the David & Goliath battle that the qualifying
times would indicate... but it wasn't exactly an upset, either.
Again the tires were blazing on the top end, but it was worse in
the right lane... lots worse. This isn't exactly a big confidence
builder for Force, up next...
(W) John Force 0.489 5.005 307.48
(L) Wyatt Radke 0.491 6.525 140.69
Radke has a three-year deal here, and is still in the building
process as far as this new team is concerned... but he has his
hands full right here, Force straight and smooth to the finish,
actually improving on his qualifying time in a round where
everyone else is struggling to keep their heads above water...
Radke was up in smoke at the eighth-mile mark, just like so
many before him...
(W) Whit Bazemore 0.505 5.551 259.36
(L) Tom Hoover 0.500 7.355 121.67
Bazemore smoked the tires at 800', but by that time Hoover
was already up in smoke and off the throttle completely... Whit
pedalled once just off the pad, but we never saw smoke at that
point... Team Winston lost lane choice to Cruz, and that
may be critical.
(W) Mark Oswald 0.555 5.432 262.00
(L) Al Hofmann 0.529 7.734 108.35
Hofmann smoked the tires and got way crossed up, over
against the wall and very nearly smacked the wall with the rear
end of the car... he really had no chance to recover, the
proximity of the wall really limiting his options... Meanwhile
Oswald was smoking and pedalling his way to the finish... it
wasn't pretty but it paid off.
(W) Dean Skuza 0.490 5.238 282.22
(L) Del Worsham 0.473 5.376 261.32
Skuza once again does a huge burnout... it's becoming a
trademark for him. Here, we got less smoke than most of the
previous matchups, both cars making it at least 900' before the
tires let go... they pedalled and recovered, but it was Skuza first
across the stripe.
(W) Randy Anderson 0.511 5.509 274.55
(L) Gary Densham 0.509 6.222 163.01
It looked like Anderson was on and off the throttle all the way
from the start, at least three times, but it worked, not a trace of
tire smoke from the Parts America car... Densham made it to
halftrack before he saw smoke, but when it came, in came in
force, and his day was over... that's the last pair, and you can
bet these guys are glad to get it behind them... 12:36 PM
FUNNY CAR
Sunday's 2nd Round
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Cruz Pedregon 0.480 5.215 282.66
(L) Whit Bazemore 0.497 5.573 259.06
2:19 PM ... and the on-again, off-again clouds have
returned, the thermometer registering 72 degrees, 63% humidity,
and 29.61 on the barometer... that's an adjusted altitude of
somewhere around 4500', according to the numbers I saw
outside... Here, lane choice proves to be critical, as Bazemore
was up in smoke by 400', pedalled, and all he got was more
smoke.
(W) Chuck Etchells 0.513 5.131 297.81
(L) Randy Anderson 0.504 5.863 185.64
Happy Birthday to Anderson's crew chief Larry Frazier. Randy
didn't give much of a present, losing the same round as his sister
when he lost traction at mid-track...
(W) John Force 0.509 5.076 303.54
(L) Jim Epler 0.529 7.157 118.56
Epler was never ahead but he was within striking range until
the car drove to the centerline and he was forced to abort... all
the while, a dejected Whit Bazemore sits on the wall and
watches his championship hopes dissolve... Force is certainly
flexing his muscle today. Epler celebrated his 40th birthday here
this weekend, by the way.
(W) Dean Skuza 0.507 5.169 298.40
(L) Mark Oswald 0.515 5.672 196.46
Oswald was only 0.02 behind at the 330' mark, but that
stretched to 0.08 at halftrack and two tenths at 1000' when the
tire smoke gremlins took his chances away...
