Mopar Columbus Friday notes

(KIRKERSVILLE, Ohio - June 16, 2000) - Dodge Motorsports R/T driver Todd Patterson continued to impress following Friday's first round of qualifying for the Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway. The Pro Stock Truck veteran qualified 10th after he traveled the Ohio quarter mile with a 7.67-second elapsed time at 175.39 mph.

"I think we have more left in the truck," said Patterson, who is running his second full race with the new small-block Magnum engine. "We shook pretty hard coming out of the box. The Dodge Dakota R/T was real quick at the top end.

Bo Nickens, driver of the Team Mopar Dodge Dakota R/T, failed to make the top 16 after he ran a 7.80/172.19.

Team Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock driver Darrell Alderman, who clocked in at 7.09/193.90, was the 15th-quickest qualifier. The three-time NHRA Winston World Champion had a solid effort.

"The track was a little slick on my run," Alderman noted. "The Pro Stock field is very close. We have been working, along with Mopar's engineers, on getting these Avengers to be more consistent. We are getting a lot closer."

Scott Geoffrion, who drives the other Team Mopar Dodge Avenger, barely missed the field with a 7.10/193.65 effort.

"It felt like the car bogged down a little at the start," Geoffrion said. "Once we work through that, we'll be all right."

Larry Morgan's Dodge Motorsports Avenger missed the field at a 7.14/193.65 and Dodge Motorsports Avenger driver John Nobile ran a 7.15/194.30.

Matco Tools/Mopar Parts Nitro Funny Car hotshoe Dean Skuza struggled after smoking the tires and running a 8.26/103.06.

Rain postponed the second round of Pro Stock Car and Nitro Funny Car.