GAINESVILLE FINAL QUALIFYING
More than a month after suffering one of the most spectacular Funny Car explosions in NHRA history, Tony Pedregon raced
Alan Bradshaw, Warren Johnson and Matt Guidera also were No. 1 qualifiers and will lead their respective categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations at the third of 24 NHRA POWERade Series events in 2008. PEDREGON, BRADSHAW, JOHNSON AND GUIDERA EARN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITIONS AT ACDELCO NHRA GATORNATIONALS
More than a month after suffering one of the most spectacular Funny Car explosions in NHRA history, Tony Pedregon raced
Alan Bradshaw, Warren Johnson and Matt Guidera also were No. 1 qualifiers and will lead their respective categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations at the third of 24 NHRA POWERade Series events in 2008.
Pedregon covered the quarter-mile distance at historic Gainesville Raceway in 4.780 seconds at 326.40 mph in his Q-Horsepower Chevy Impala for his 32nd No. 1 qualifying effort and first since July 2005.
Bradshaw, a former Lucas Oil Series Top Alcohol Dragster world champion who is in his second season in Top Fuel, powered his Vis Viva dragster to his first career No. 1 performance in professional racing, covering the distance in 4.547 at 306.95.
Pro Stock’s Johnson raced to the 137th No. 1 qualifying position of his career, ninth at this event and first since Aug. 2005. He posted a 6.665 at 208.36 in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac GXP to lead the 16-car field.
“It’s always good to start off with a new car by qualifying No. 1,”
said Johnson, a nine-time winner at the Gatornationals. “My last No. 1
came during our first race with the GTO. It’s been a good start to the
season. Early on we were making good power with the GTO at the first
two races, which was a good indicator we had adequate power to qualify
in the upper half of the field. This car seems to be a little quicker
in the back half, which is where the mile-per-hour is coming from.”
Guidera claimed his first top qualifying performance in Pro Stock
Motorcycle, riding his Mohegan Sun/Rocklin Motorsports Buell to a
career-best performance of 6.922 at 192.85.
“We knew we left some on the table in the first session, about
five-hundredths,” Guidera said. “The bike went left, and I had to pull
it right because it was up in the air for half the run and not very
aerodynamic at all. The last pass it left hard and was stuck. The guys
worked so hard our on our motor package in the off-season because we
were about a tenth off last year, and all that hard work paid off.
Running a 6.92 here in the humidity we had is really something.”
First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the
39th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the
third of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings
based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below
pairings.
Top Fuel -- 1. Alan Bradshaw, 4.547 seconds, 306.95 mph vs. 16. Bruce Litton, 4.755,
309.84; 2. David Grubnic, 4.555, 327.59 vs. 15. Michael Gunderson,
4.743, 316.01; 3. Rod Fuller, 4.555, 326.71 vs. 14. Urs Erbacher,
4.678, 316.08; 4. Antron Brown, 4.558, 327.51 vs. 13. Doug Foley,
4.676, 325.85; 5. Tony Schumacher, 4.579, 326.56 vs. 12. J.R. Todd,
4.659, 318.99; 6. Cory McClenathan, 4.581, 327.59 vs. 11. Hillary
Will, 4.624, 314.75; 7. Brandon Bernstein, 4.586, 330.63 vs. 10. Clay
Millican, 4.624, 325.77; 8. Larry Dixon, 4.612, 317.87 vs. 9. Doug
Herbert, 4.620, 318.09.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Morgan Lucas, 4.762, 313.15; 18. Mitch
King, 4.802, 302.82; 19. Doug Kalitta, 4.865, 295.14; 20. Luigi
Novelli, 5.825, 177.58; 21. Bob Vandergriff, 6.027, 182.28.
Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.780, 326.40 vs.
16. Jerry Toliver, Dodge Charger, 4.973, 291.26; 2. John Force, Ford
Mustang, 4.816, 326.71 vs. 15. Gary Densham, Impala, 4.953, 311.70; 3.
Tim Wilkerson, Impala, 4.820, 320.58 vs. 14. Mike Neff, Mustang,
4.944, 291.01; 4. Cruz Pedregon, Impala, 4.841, 316.15 vs. 13. Ron
Capps, Charger, 4.936, 312.86; 5. Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 4.847,
325.77 vs. 12. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.927, 319.45; 6. Jack Beckman,
Charger, 4.847, 324.12 vs. 11. Frank Hawley, Charger, 4.916, 319.60;
7. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.863, 318.39 vs. 10. Del Worsham, Impala,
4.903, 313.80; 8. Ashley Force, Mustang, 4.864, 319.45 vs. 9. Scott
Kalitta, Solara, 4.892, 325.37.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Bob Bode, 4.979, 290.26; 18. Gary Scelzi,
5.014, 307.37; 19. Terry Haddock, 5.187, 277.15; 20. Tommy Johnson Jr.,
5.226, 287.96; 21. Mike Smith, 5.412, 191.97; 22. Melanie Troxel,
5.854, 259.06; 23. Tony Bartone, broke.
Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, Pontiac GXP, 6.665, 208.36 vs.
16. Matt Hartford, Dodge Stratus, 6.743, 204.48; 2. Kurt Johnson, Chevy
Cobalt, 6.665, 207.27 vs. 15. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 6.741, 205.01; 3.
Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.680, 206.51 vs. 14. Ron Krisher, Cobalt,
6.721, 205.60; 4. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GTO, 6.685, 205.57 vs. 13. V.
Gaines, Stratus, 6.715, 205.41; 5. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.687,
206.13 vs. 12. Dave Northrop, GTO, 6.714, 204.76; 6. Greg Anderson,
GXP, 6.689, 206.45 vs. 11. Jim Yates, GXP, 6.713, 204.85; 7. Greg
Stanfield, GXP, 6.690, 205.72 vs. 10. Justin Humphreys, GXP, 6.709,
205.19; 8. Jason Line, GXP, 6.705, 206.89 vs. 9. Rickie Jones,
Stratus, 6.708, 205.60.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Vinnie Deceglie, 6.744, 203.89; 18. Kenny
Koretsky, 6.746, 204.45; 19. Larry Morgan, 6.761, 205.13; 20. Max
Naylor, 6.761, 201.79; 21. Tom Hammonds, 6.771, 205.60; 22. Bill
Glidden, 6.776, 204.35; 23. Steve Spiess, 6.782, 204.26; 24. John
Nobile, 6.793, 204.98; 25. Adam Flamholc, 6.807, 203.09; 26. Bob Benza,
6.816, 202.45; 27. Jimmy Alund, 6.824, 201.55; 28. Richard Sundblom,
6.844, 202.09; 29. Matt Scranton, 6.895, 199.70.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Matt Guidera, Buell, 6.922, 192.85
vs. 16. Hector Arana, Buell, 7.147, 186.54; 2. Matt Smith, Buell,
6.972, 190.38 vs. 15. Edward Murphy, Suzuki, 7.138, 184.40; 3. Andrew
Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.982, 190.51 vs. 14. Junior Pippin, Buell,
7.136, 181.67; 4. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 7.001, 190.97 vs.
13. Michael Ray, Buell, 7.135, 184.45; 5. Chip Ellis, Suzuki, 7.016,
187.70 vs. 12. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.092, 187.76; 6. Angie McBride,
Buell, 7.024, 188.31 vs. 11. Wes Wells, Suzuki, 7.088, 186.87; 7.
Angelle Sampey, Buell, 7.030, 186.82 vs. 10. Paul Gast, Suzuki, 7.080,
187.39; 8. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.035, 188.70 vs. 9. Chris Rivas,
Buell, 7.041, 190.27.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Steve Johnson, 7.181, 191.05; 18. Mike
Berry, 7.226, 185.03; 19. Craig Treble, 7.265, 189.60; 20. Redell
Harris, 7.265, 183.42; 21. Darin McCurdy, 7.346, 182.26; 22. Ryan
Schnitz, 7.471, 177.16.