Sun, 07 Jul 2013, 12:02 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

NORWALK, Ohio - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 John Force                            256 Blake Alexander              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.101  4.025 318.62                     0.113  4.192 294.43
 Qualified:             #1  4.021 317.72                       #16  7.547  87.49

11:31 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 73 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 2,728 feet.

This is Force's third number one this year and the 143rd of his career. he has never won this race. His crew chief, Mike Neff has won this event the last two years.

Force is 2 - 0 against Alexander in prior events.

Not much difference between these two off the line, then Force starts pulling away and extends his lead all the way through the run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Johnny Gray                           771 Alexis DeJoria               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.089  4.047 314.97                     0.030  4.131 313.29
 Qualified:             #4  4.061 312.64                       #13  4.124 281.07

Gray is 3 - 0 against DeJoria in prior events.

DeJoria gets a big advantage off the line, then Gray starts reeling her in quickly. Gray drives around her before they reach the 330 foot mark, then pulls away for the win.

Johnny Gray's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.023), 330 ft(0.010), 660ft(0.022). MOV: 0.0255 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                              10 Jeff Arend                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.099  4.072 309.13                     0.090  4.229 298.40
 Qualified:             #3  4.040 316.82                       #14  5.517 130.83

This is Ron Capps 400th race.

Capps was the runner-up here in 2011. Capps is 11 - 5 against Arend in prior events.

Arend gets out just ahead of Capps off the line. Capps quickly drives around him and goes right down the groove and pulls away for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Bob Tasca III                           7 Robert Hight                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.064  4.075 317.72                     0.054  4.665 249.16
 Qualified:            #15  7.465  81.64                        #2  4.030 318.77

Tasca was the runner-up here in 2009.

Hight is 9 - 3 against Tasca III in prior events.

Hight gets out of the gate first, gets about 300 feet out and loses traction. He pedals, gets the slicks to bite, but Tasca had already driven around him and started pulling away. Tasca goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

Bob Tasca III's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.033), 330 ft(0.138), 660ft(0.415). MOV: 0.5805 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3111 Chad Head                             750 Del Worsham                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.123  4.093 309.20                     0.099  4.955 190.57
 Qualified:             #5  4.065 305.29                       #12  4.115 310.27

Worsham won this race in Top Fuel in 2011. Worsham is 1 - 0 against Head in prior events.

Worsham gets out in front early, starts to pull away, then strikes the tires about 300 feet out. he pedals a couple of times then gives up on the run.

Chad Head's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.018), 330 ft(0.183), 660ft(0.456). MOV: 0.8388 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Head will give up lane choice to Gray in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                             72 Tony Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.064  4.051 315.42                     0.069  4.117 293.15
 Qualified:             #6  4.071 313.29                       #11  4.107 302.96

Pedregon won this race in 2008

Hagan is 11 - 6 against Pedregon in prior events.

They come off the line together but Hagan starts to pull away quickly. Hagan goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

Hagan will have lane choice over Capps in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Tim Wilkerson                           5 Courtney Force               
E1                   0.067  4.127 297.35     ****WINNER****  0.071  4.071 319.67
 Qualified:             #7  4.082 309.98                       #10  4.106 312.86

Wilkerson won this race in 2010 and was the runner-up last year.

Force is 5 - 1 against Wilkerson in prior events. Wilkerson beat Force in the first round in Chicago in their last meeting.

They come off the line together but Wilkerson starts to pull away quickly. Wilkerson loses a cylinder about 400 feet out, starts drifting to the left, then almost hits the wall just past the finish line. Force goes around Wilkerson about 600 feet out and pulls away for the win with her quickest pass of the weekend.

Courtney Force's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.017), 330 ft(-0.020), 660ft(0.004). MOV: 0.0522 seconds (approximately 23 feet).

Force will have lane choice over Tasca in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Cruz Pedregon                           1 Jack Beckman                 
E1                   0.087  4.642 188.83     ****WINNER****  0.048  4.079 318.09
 Qualified:             #8  4.091 303.43                        #9  4.100 308.92

Beckman won this race in 2009.

Pedregon is 11 - 10 against Beckman in prior events.

Beckman gets off the line first and starts pulling away. Pedregon never really made a move to make up ground, then had problems near the end of the run. he crosses the finish line and a small fire starts coming from under the car. He pulls the car off to the side and the flames are quickly extinguished.

He leaves oil on the track but has one freebie so this won't cost him any points.

Beckman will give up lane choice to John Force in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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