"We just had issues with the new ignition system that we're using now. It appears to be extremely temperamental." -- Tim Wilkerson after suffering a rare DNQ

"Obviously I thought it would take a race or two to get into the .70s, but Paul Smith, Rick Cassel, and the crew a did great job. It also shows how handicapped we were last season because the tune up isn't all that different than last year and this car can take it and the one last year couldn't." -- Jeff Arend referring to the Pontiac Firebird body that replaced the Corvette shell he used in 2004, and after running a career-best 4.797 to qualify 10th

"The car started drifting on me, toward the wall, and I had it cranked all the way over to the left but it kept fading to the right and absolutely would not come back. I wasn't going to lift unless it got really dicey, so I kept my foot in it until I got across the stripe. I didn't touch the wall, but it was close." -- Phil Burkart on the 4.799 that put him 11th on the qualifying list

"We ran into a few problems in qualifying, but I'm confident that we can run with the rest of the pack." -- Tommy Johnson Jr. after qualifying 12th

"Hopefully we'll welcome Hight to the NHRA by handing him his first round loss." -- Nicky Boninfante, Jr., crew chief for Bob Gilbertson, on being the first team to face new Force Racing shoe Robert Hight in eliminations

"We got lucky as can be to get into this deal, but if the car will just live to the other end it will run a low 4.7 or something. The theory now is this: We have to make the most of this fortunate circumstance. I will tell you this, though, that was one amazing race track. That's as well prepared a track as we've ever raced on." -- Del Worsham on the 5.146 he ran in the opening round of qualifying that held up to put him 14th for raceday (James Drew photo)

"My dad gave me a good race car and I just messed up." -- Eric Medlen referring to his father and crew chief John Medlen after redlighting in the first round

"Disheartening. What a way to remember your career-best ET and mile an hour." -- Gary Scelzi on running 4.717 seconds at 331.53 mph, but losing to a holeshot by Burkart in the opener

"We're all right. A lot of good teams went home early and we just happened to be one of them." -- Hight after losing to Gilbertson in the first round

"I never get breaks like that." -- Johnson Jr. after getting a gift in the first round when Frank Pedregon crossed the center line to negate a sure win over him

"It wasn't what we expected, but it's just racing. We know we have three good hot rods. We just had a bad day and all we can do is look at what went wrong and fix it for Phoenix." -- John Force after losing to Jim Head, on the elimination of all three of his cars in the first round

"The car has a gremlin. It's not a Gremlin, it's a Dodge Stratus, but it has a gremlin. Sometimes it ran like a Gremlin." -- Whit Bazemore after dropping a close one in the semis to TJ Jr.

"I was really trying to push it on the starting line. I missed the light by a little and would have calmed down a bit if I had it to do over again." -- Cruz Pedregon on redlighting against Burkart in the semis

"When you're runner-up you don't hang your head. You shake the other guy's hand, you pat your crew on the back for getting you there, and you smile. We wanted to win, but we did well and I'm proud of our guys." -- Burkart after losing traction early in the final against TJ Jr.