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FUNNY CAR

“I feel like a lucky jockey. I have a great horse under me now. You can't win the Kentucky Derby riding a mule.” -- Ron Capps after scoring his first race victory since early 2003

"It was so brutal out here today, and the first session was just a test of wills and endurance.” -- Del Worsham on Friday evening’s first qualifying session, when the ambient temperature was over 100-degrees and some track temperature readings exceeded 150-degrees

“All we did was put a little more clutch in it. We didn't touch the motor. We just threw a handful of nuts inside the bellhousing and hoped they stuck on the right levers.” -- Tim Wilkerson on his second qualifying pass after securing the provisional number-one slot

"This really drops us down in the points and we now have a big hole to dig ourselves out of if we're going to achieve the goal that we set in the beginning of the season to finish in the top ten.” -- Bob Gilbertson on missing the cut in qualifying at Gateway

"Qualifying number one is good. We went down the race track every time. First round today we broke an intake valve which should have exploded and blew the body all over in a million pieces. For whatever reason, it didn't. Dan Olson (co-crew chief for Whit Bazemore) said I must have good karma here.” -- Gary Scelzi after securing his third top qualifying spot this season

“Ronnie Thompson jumped in and has been methodical every time. He told me how the Brut Dodge was going to run and he's been just spot on.” -- Capps after qualifying second, on his interim crew chief while regular head tuner Ed McCulloch recuperates from a recent surgery

"You know, we are a very young team, so to speak - we basically started over last week - so to end up sixth is a pretty good effort.” -- Bazemore referring to his longtime crew chief, Lee Beard, having been recently replaced with Dan Olson and Todd Okuhara

“We've been here the last two days at 4:30 to 5:00, and it's pretty brutal. First round is at 4:30, so we'll probably run around 5:15 or so, and if it's like it's been the last two days there will be serious driving issues going on. Getting from A to B will be the key, and that won't be easy. Guys who can pedal, and pedal, and pedal again might be the ones moving on to round two." -- Worsham after qualifying seventh, on the task at hand on raceday

"It had a linkage fall off of it on the first run, so the barrel valve spun all around and shut the barrel valve and burnt the heads off of it and blew up. It would have been a 4.87 if it hadn't blown up. Then on the second run it went through the clutch too fast when I stepped on the gas. So that means it was too much motor and not enough clutch.” -- Wilkerson describing his two Saturday qualifying passes that left him eighth on the ladder

"If it's a game of confidence, we win already. Hopefully, that will be in their heads. I'm confident that we can go up there and make it three in a row.” -- Tommy Johnson Jr. after qualifying ninth to face off against Wilkerson in round one for the third-straight time, and on winning the previous two meetings

“We're happy we are qualified and we're happy with the way the car has run this weekend because we've seen improvement both days. How can we be unhappy?" -- Gary Densham after qualifying 12th, his best starting position so far this year