"It just threw a rod out of it at and the dumb-ass driver stayed with it. We do know now that on raceday with a rod out of it at a little over half track, if the driver can hang with it, it will still run a 4.91. It used to be that we couldn't run that fast with all eight cylinders in it. I guess that's a good thing." -- Scotty Cannon after qualifying 10th

"We've got a good race car; we've just got to get the driver tuned up. The thing is, I've gone (to the starting line) too many times thinking about what I have to do. You can't think when you go up there, you just have to react. I know better; I'll get better." -- Force before qualifying number one with a 4.759-secs pass to lead the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history

Gary Scelzi

"For whatever reason it dropped a hole (cylinder) at the step of the throttle. The car didn't move. It pushed me over to the right side to get me to go over the centerline. I fought it back, fought it the whole way down. It just kept getting worse as I was going down the race track. And I saw there was no chance of catching Tim so I just ended up shutting it off." -- Gary Scelzi on his loss to Tim Wilkerson in the opening round of eliminations

"I saw him have problems, but our car shook the tires, and then went into smoke. Ever-changing track conditions caught up with us. We had a new car and tune-up that we aren't used to yet." -- Tommy Johnson Jr. after his loss in the second round to Gary Densham

"Our old hot rod just blew the tires off. Don't know what happened. It just wasn't there." -- Force on his second-round loss to Gray

"I thought it was going to be our day. But things happen. I kinda' wanted to win it for my dad, who's been pretty sick, but those things happen. It was still a great Indy. It's the best I've ever done." -- Densham after losing to Gray in the semi-finals

"We swapped lanes right before the final and I hear that Del and Chuck [Worsham, team owners of Gray's car] are upset. But until we fire those motors, that's my prerogative. The

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guys saw a bald spot out there and they wanted to change. I really don't think it would have mattered." -- Wilkerson after his 4.841-secs pass beat the 4.903 by Johnny Gray in the final round

"We wanted it, there's no denying that. We could taste it, we wanted it more than anything, but so did they. I give credit to Timmy (Wilkerson) and his team. They earned every bit of it, and ran great all day. They've had a lot of races where they ran well deep into eliminations, but couldn't maintain it to the win, and this time they absolutely were the class of the field. We just came up short, but we had a great day." -- Gray on losing in the final to Wilkerson

"I remember in 1997 I got to the finals here and lost to Whit Bazemore. At the other end he told me I didn't win because I hadn't earned it yet. I wish he was up here now." -- Wilkerson again, after receiving the historical 500th "Wally" awarded to an NHRA Fuel Coupe driver