Bob Gilbertson lit up the night
with his new Autolite entry.
Del Worsham was on strong run past half-track when his
Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Funny Car encountered problems
and shut itself off with a boom and a flash. He then coasted
to a 5.146, which left him in the No. 9 spot after this
challenging session.
"Our car was just running right down there, probably
on its way to a 4.75, and it just went boom," Worsham
said. "My
first inclination was that it leaned out and we had a fuel
flow
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problem, but when we took it all apart we found that
we broke a shaft in the blower. It's kind of a let down
to work all winter and test for weeks, then have a first
session like that."
Phil Burkart made his first lap of the season in the blue
Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Funny Car, but like most of the
cars before him his car suffered from enough tire shake
to force him to abort the run. Burkart made a valiant attempt
to back-pedal the car, but it then neared the center line.
He coasted to a 6.369 to land 11th after this first session.
"After what we saw before us, I was ready for some
shake and ready to pedal," Burkart said. "Ron
Capps did a great job pedaling his car and worked a 4.88
out of it, so I was prepared to get it down there but it
was a little out of shape when it shook and not pointed
exactly straight when I got back on it."
Gary Scelzi's
Dodge Stratus was No. 5 with a 4.842 at 312.78 mph.
Veteran Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. who is the
only driver with two complete cars to choose from on race
day, led off the 2005 NHRA season Thursday in his Skoal
Racing Chevy Funny Car. Following a lengthy delay due to
a clock malfunction in the left lane and facing a cool
Pomona Raceway drag strip, Johnson's Chevy flopper shook
the tires causing the Iowa native to slow to a pass of
10.139 seconds at 84.97 mph.
"The track was tight and much better than most people
thought it would be," Johnson said. "Night conditions
can be tricky and it's very easy to be off with the tune-up.
The track just wouldn't hold out."
