"I actually felt kind of bad for him, because I've been there. He's trying real hard. He's under pressure like all of us. I consider him one of the best, and when the best pushes it to the edge, that's when you win. Sometimes it catches you, and that's how it caught him today. Next week it can be turned back around. Next week I can come out here and lose in the first round and they'll take the points lead again." — Force again, referring to the first-round loss by Gary Scelzi that allowed Force to regain the points lead from him
 "I feel pretty confident. We'll just see what happens tomorrow." — Ron Capps after running a track-record and career-best 4.694 seconds at 327.82 mph to get his first number-one qualifier of the season, the seventh of his career, and his first since Brainerd 2000
"We found out where we can go, where we can't go, and we should be good tomorrow.” — Scelzi after qualifying fifth
"We're in a position where we can sneak up on some people and win a race or more than one, actually, so we're right there and it feels good.” — Whit Bazemore on qualifying in the number-six slot
“It was just two races ago that we qualified for our first event and now here we are in the top half of the field. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished.” — Mike Ashley on starting from the eighth qualifying position
“I think we can go down there and run a high 4.70 in the first round. Even racing John Force, I’m as confident as I can be.” — Tommy Johnson Jr. on his impending date with the champ after qualifying 10th
“We just feel good that we got the car back under us on that last pass, because finishing with a strong lap is a lot better than limping in on a tire smoker.” — Phil Burkart after slotting in at 12th with his final qualifying attempt
"This new chassis and body really act different than the old one. I put a little more in it for tonight's run and it just wasn't enough. It was shaking the instant the retarder came on. And it shakes different than the other one did. The other one shook from spinning the tires and this one shakes because the tire is stuck so hard. It just wants more of everything and we're still a little afraid to do that.” — Tim Wilkerson on his Friday night qualifying attempt after arriving in Texas with a new body, new chassis, and the setback blower on his car
"At least we stopped hurting parts and that's always good.” — Wilkerson again, after winding up 15th on the qualifying list
"Evidently it didn't wear like we thought it would and locked up too early in the run causing us to smoke the tires.” — Nick Boninfante, crew chief for Bob Gilbertson, on their first-round loss to Bazemore
"My foot moved and my brain didn't. I still had a hold of the brake and I just made a mental mistake. I'm not famous for that, obviously, but it happened and it happened at the absolute wrong time.” — Scelzi on leaving too early in the first round against Burkart, marking only the second redlight start of his professional drag racing career
“We didn’t have enough water for the burnout and the tires stayed dry. When you can’t perform a proper burnout, the clutch gets hot and ends up damaged. Also, under those circumstances, the engine does not read right when you step on the throttle. I am surprised we were able to go as far as we went and not smoke the tires.” — Dickie Venables, crew chief for Tony Pedregon, explaining their first-round loss to Del Worsham
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