FUNNY CAR

The lead in Funny Car qualifying changed after each session, with Whit Bazemore, Del Worsham, and Robert Hight all taking turns at the top, but it was Gary Scelzi who ultimately led the way with a 4.782 at 326.87 mph.

Gary Scelzi was spectacular in his first-round match against Richard Hartman, but not in the way he’d like, as his engine let go in a fireball about half-track. He still managed to take the win, though, and later said although it got “pretty hot,” he didn’t realize what a big explosion it was. “I didn’t want to hit the [fire suppressant] bottles before I got past the finish line because then I couldn’t see and I didn’t see him go by me.”

In beating Whit Bazemore in the opener, John Force earned his 900th career round win. His second event win of the year and his 116th overall was his seventh after 13 final-round appearances at Atlanta Dragway and also vaulted him into the points lead over Bazemore.

John Force qualified fifth, and looked strong, but not dominant on raceday as he got past a tire-smoking Bazemore in round one, then defeated former teammate Tony Pedregon and then his brother Cruz Pedregon in the semis. He saved his best pass of the weekend for the final, though, where he beat new teammate and son-in-law Robert Hight. Hight left with a slight starting-line advantage, but Force’s 4.772 at 325.61 was just enough to get by the 4.796/323.04 combo assembled by Hight in the left lane.

“It shook just enough to slow it down about one-and-a-half seconds into the run,” Hight said. “If it hadn’t done that I think we would’ve had him. It was a great race, though; we both went in shallow because we were both going for low E.T. of the event.”

PRO STOCK

Pro Stock qualifying honors went to local hero Warren Johnson, who set both ends of the track record with a 6.749-second pass at 204.54 mph in his last scheduled appearance as a driver at “Georgia’s House of Speed.” Johnson beat a redlighting Kenny Koretsky and Larry Morgan in the first two rounds, while his son and teammate, Kurt Johnson, defeated Ron Krisher and Mike Edwards to also reach the semi-finals. In the opposite lanes were number-two qualifier Jason Line for W.J., and Line’s teammate, the two-time defending class champ and former Johnson crewman, Greg Anderson for Kurt.

This time around it was the student schooling “The Professor” as Anderson left first and outran Johnson to advance to the final round. Likewise, Line left with a .004 light on K.J. and also turned on the win light to set up the first Anderson-Line teammate final of the year. "I thought it was neat facing Warren in the semis," Anderson said, "and I bet the fans thought it was pretty cool too. You've got to treat everybody the same, but we're a liar if we say we don't think there's something special about running each other, at least I do, I know that. I certainly do respect him for what he is and what he's done. He's a serious, serious player right now, and he's pretty much had my number all year. Finally we got around him."