O'Reilly Fall Nationals: Cannon runs top speed in Dallas

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Round 21 of 23
O'Reilly Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Race Dates: Oct. 10-12, 2003

CANNON RUNS TOP SPEED OF MEET, LOSES CLOSE FIRST ROUND TO BURKART

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 12, 2003) - In test mode for the rest of the season and
his car now sporting one of teammate Gary Scelzi's Oakley Time Bomb Dodge
Stratus Funny Car bodies, Scotty Cannon is making progress in preparation
for the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. He's doing it in style this
weekend, as he goes home with the top speed of the meet - a career-best
325.73-mph run he posted in the first round.

That round was a squeaker against No. 9 qualifier Phil Burkart Jr., as both
cars launched with nearly identical reaction times (.092 for Cannon, .090
for Burkart). It was close, but Burkart took the victory for the second
straight time against Cannon with a 4.849/316.43 pass to Cannon's
4.874-second elapsed time and blistering top speed of 325.73 mph.

"It seems like it's working better," said Cannon, of Lyman, S.C., No. 8
qualifier. "I always seem to get the guy that comes out with his next best
run. It's a little disappointing. We worked on the car hard and had a little
bad luck. The car performed pretty decently, but we came up short. We think
we're heading in the right direction.

"I like the Dodge. It's definitely faster. If nothing else, I'm a pretty
good test dummy. If we can run 325 mph with this Dodge body, anybody can."

Cannon, who also acts as crew chief, added Dave Fletcher, formerly of Cruz
Pedregon's team, to his crew, to help him and Todd Blakely tune the car. "I
like Fletch," said Cannon. "He and Todd helped me make some pretty good
calls this weekend."

Cannon stays 14th in the POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point
standings, with 707.