When qualifying ended, the Musi camp was already formulating a plan on how to conquer the South again. It was interesting to listen them strategize and figure out how the ladders would be setup to take best advantage of the situation and maximize their chances to win. By qualifying Nos. 1 and 2 Musi and Dantoni would be paired on opposite sides of the ladder which would increase their chances to win.

Friday was a day off for the teams, however the Team North camp was hard at work changing three engines (Musi, Dantoni, Gentile) due to some parts attrition from Thursday’s session.

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In the 2003 event “fireworks” started when there was apparently some confusion over the rules and the use of a computer. A fist-fight ensued as tempers boiled over. It looked like the possibility of some controversy happening this year as early Saturday the Team North camp was apparently protesting the validity of Tutterow’s mufflers. Since there was a $500.00 protest fee involved, Tutterow proposed that his mufflers could be inspected if the engines that the North team changed could be P&G’d (verification of cubic inch displacement). The agreement was struck that the two protests would be “traded” at no cost to either team.

A member of the Hooters IHRA tech inspection team proceeded to verify that Tutterow did in fact have legal mufflers and also that the Team North cubic inch displacements were as the team had claimed. The race was now on!

In the last chance qualifying session Lynard Pate managed to finally get his Hemi-powered blown '68 Camaro down the track, bumping out the nitrous small block Corvette of Mark Ingle for one of the coveted eight spots on Team South. Team North’s order was shuffled but, since there were only eight cars, all entries were in the field.

Hats off to all the Team South guys who attempted to qualify and didn’t make the show. It’s worth mentioning because these are still the “local heroes” that the majority of the crowd comes to see month after month. Mark Ingle, Mark Lineberrier, Wayne Bates, John Lawson, Bubba Turner, Rocky “Batman” Raynor, Doc Bilbrey, Mike Watkins, Rodney Patterson, Jimmy Reams, Keith Floyd, Junior Ward and the afore-mentioned Ricky Young and J.J. Smith were among the Team South members not to qualify.