Mon, 3 Sep 2007, 12:08 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Tony Pedregon                         729 Jerry Toliver                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.075  4.944 270.16                     0.107  4.954 313.00
 Qualified:             #8  4.786 321.04                        #9  4.797 320.81

11:25 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 43 percent, barometer 29.24 inches, adjusted altitude 2,528 feet, track temperature 107 degrees. The TF'er put on a great show in first round. With any luck, we will have a similar or better show. Pedregon almost owns Toliver in prior engagements with a 10 to 6 win/loss ratio.

Pedregon leaves on Toliver and pulls steadily ahead until about the 1000 foot lights, where he is over a tenth ahead. There is a big flash out from underneath the Q Power Impala and the burst panel goes flying. Toliver's Rockstar Solera continues to come on hard and is only a car length behind at the finish.

11:30 a.m. Lots of clean up near the end of the track in Pedregon lane. His "freebie" for the count down is now gone.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             404 Kenny Bernstein              
E1                   0.097  4.877 316.82     ****WINNER****  0.045  4.922 307.16
 Qualified:             #5  4.773 324.98                       #12  4.803 320.28

11:38 a.m. ...and we are back

These two are about even in prior parings with Capps having a 6 to 5 advantage. Bernstein was off the circuit for a number of years, so they have a limited history against each other.

The "Old Guy" nails Capps off the line and leads him all the way down the track. Capps needed another few feet to catch him.

Kenny Bernstein's incremental margins: 60ft(0.041), 330 ft(0.039), 660ft(0.035), 1,000ft(0.026). MOV: 0.0078 seconds (approximately 4 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7321 Ashley Force                          347 Tim Wilkerson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.122  4.784 323.89                     0.108  4.965 305.01
 Qualified:             #2  4.754 309.70                       #15  4.825 313.95

These two have never meet in eliminations. Wilkerson gets off the line ahead of Force, but she drives on by before sixty feet. They had the long fuze in this time and she drives through the lights with all the pipes dry. Great looking pass.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  170 Jeff Arend                            702 Jon Capps                    
E1                   0.087  4.927 317.79     ****WINNER****  0.093  4.896 316.15
 Qualified:             #1  4.754 327.51                       #16  4.826 311.49

These two have never met before in eliminations, as this is Capps first round of FC eliminations.

Arend gets a small advantage off the line and leads Capps until near the 330 lights. The Vegas Fuel Monte Carlo powers on by and stays there to take a 12 foot win. He'll have lane choice over Pedregon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  711 Jack Beckman                          319 Scott Kalitta                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.079  4.902 318.24                     0.083  5.032 289.26
 Qualified:             #3  4.759 325.85                       #14  4.805 319.75

Beckman has won every prior encounter and runs the score up to five in a row. He leaves first and just flies on down to the finish line for a decisive win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                          388 Jim Head                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.195  4.882 317.79                     0.094  6.318 152.24
 Qualified:             #4  4.764 323.89                       #13  4.804 324.12

Huge race for the Countdown points. Head has a career advantage of four wins to three loses over Hight.

Hight makes a major statement to the rest of the field with a full pull pass. Head was up in smoke right after the 330 lights.

Hight will keep the lane choice in round two over Bernstein

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  180 Mike Ashley                           782 Gary Densham                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  4.835 327.11                     0.064  5.023 265.17
 Qualified:             #6  4.779 327.35                       #11  4.800 320.28

These two have never met in eliminations. Densham gets a small advantage off the line and has to watch Ashley power on by before the sixty foot mark. Ashley continues to pull ahead all the way down the track for a decisive win. He will have lane choice over Beckman in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  750 Del Worsham                             7 Gary Scelzi                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  4.841 322.04                     0.092  4.872 318.92
 Qualified:             #7  4.785 323.66                       #10  4.799 322.50

Worsham makes it 5 wins and 7 losses with Scelzi. He leaves first and finishes first by about a car length. Great looking race. Ashley Force will have lane choice in the next round.

11:58 a.m. On to Pro Stock action.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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