Dallas Qualifying Story

Familiar Faces Capture Number One Spots at Castrol Lone Star

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - SUMMIT Fast News - Familiar faces occupy the pole positions in the professional categories at the Castrol Lone Star Nationals in Ennis, Texas. Joe Amato, Cruz Pedregon, and Warren Johnson qualified number one in their respective categories.

Joe Amato in his Tenneco Automotive Top Fueler unleashed a 4.639 second run at 318.47 mile per hour during the first session today. This is the third race of seven in the NHRA 22 race series that the driver from Exeter, Pa. has qualified in the number one position.

Only sixteen Top Fuel cars made qualifying attempts at the Castrol Lone Star Nationals. The top eight qualifier were in the 4.60 second zone with Doug Herbert qualified at 4.699 seconds. Doug Herbert only made one qualifying attempt today as he flew back to Darlington to make a qualifying attempt at the IHRA Southern Nationals.

Cruz Pedregon drove his Interstate Batteries/Hot Rod Magazine Funny Car to his fourth pole position of this race season. Pedregon drove the Wes Cerny tuned Funny Car to a 4.855 elapsed time at a track record 314.79 mile per hour.

Chuck Etchells in the Mama Rosa/ Superwinch Chevrolet Camaro did not qualify for the race today this just six days after winning the Pennzoil Nationals in Richmond. Al Hofmann driving his Goodwrench Service Plus Pontiac Firebird on the last run of the day knocked Etchells from the show.

Warren Johnson qualified his Goodwrench Service Plus Pontiac Firebird, taking the number one spot for the fourth time in a row. The NHRA points leader ran a 7.004 elapsed time at 197.54 mile per hour.

World Champion Jim Yates qualified number eleven after not qualifying last week in Richmond.

Final eliminations will start tomorrow at 11:00 am with live final-round coverage on ESPN2 starting a 4:00 pm.