MOTOR SPORTS: A FORCE-FUL PERFORMANCE DRIVER SETS THE FASTEST FUNNY CAR PASS RECORD.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

It was a sight that elicited an identical reaction from each one of the thousands of fans gathered at Pomona Raceway in Pomona on Saturday:

Wow!

The left-lane clock at the end of Pomona's quarter-mile drag strip lit up with bright orange numbers that read, ``4.664,'' and it wasn't long before fans were told that John Force's final qualifying attempt for today's Winternationals was the fastest Funny Car pass ever recorded.

``It's the quickest, but it doesn't win you a championship, doesn't win you a race,'' Force said. ``But it doesn't hurt mentally, I'll tell you that. I'll sleep good tonight.''

Force's time led the quickest field in Funny Car history, a mark that was reset for the sixth time in the last seven races, including four in a row.

Qualifiers from the other classes included record-setting Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher, who is attempting to extend his streak of five consecutive victories, and defending Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson, whose qualifying time from Friday set a track record.

Reigning Funny Car champ Gary Scelzi had a say in all of the record-setting, too: his 332.51-mph run in the early session Saturday was the fastest ever by a Funny Car at Pomona.

Force has a shot at turning his pass into a national record today if he backs up the time with another one at 4.771 seconds or faster.

``It's like if you've got a woman that wants to dance, and then she gets mad at you because you stepped on her foot,'' Force said of his chances at the national mark. ``She'll bite you. The race car is just like that. It either runs fast, or it doesn't want to go 100 feet.''

--Hendrick saddened by lawsuit: An emotional Rick Hendrick expressed disappointment Saturday about a lawsuit filed against him by the widow of one of his employees killed in a 2004 plane crash, calling some of her claims a ``cheap shot'' and a personal attack on his family.

Dianne Dorton filed suit earlier this week in North Carolina, saying Hendrick Motorsports was liable in the death of her husband, Randy. He was one of 10 people killed in October 2004 when a Hendrick plane crashed near Martinsville, Va., en route to a NASCAR race.

Her suit claimed Hendrick Motorsports showed ``conscious and intentional disregard'' for Randy Dorton's safety, alleging that company president John Hendrick rejected the pilot's suggestion to divert to a different airport because of bad weather because he didn't want to be late for the race.

``I don't understand the attack on my brother - I thought it was a cheap shot, it was disappointing and not true,'' Rick Hendrick said. ``Everybody suffered. It was a sad deal. It was an accident. ... It's just really disappointing when you do the best you can and someone grandstands and doesn't get the facts straight.''