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Sun, Nov 1, 05:47 PM

BAYTOWN - Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Michael L. Jex

Big Speeds Continue

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the 2nd Annual Matco Tools Supernationals:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   7 Ron Capps           4.944 299.90  Q  10 Al Hofmann          5.108 296.73
 *****WINNER***** 0.513  4.986 304.77 E1                  0.509  8.826  95.22

11:07 AM Al Hofmann has the chance to help John Force's championship bid for 98, a win by the GM performance parts machine could be the nail in the coffin for the Cope team.

Both drivers have .916 60 foot times, then Hofmann starts blazing the Goodyears, lifting at about half track.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  14 Chuck Beal          5.217 273.39  Q   3 Whit Bazemore       4.850 311.63
                  0.583  9.687  89.18 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.580  5.146 257.14

Bazemore didn't get a good burnout, the tires failed to spin enough to create any tire smoke. Bazemore starts spinning the tires at the top end of the track, but it doesn't matter as Beal had lost traction just past the 60-foot marker.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  15 Jack Wyatt          5.251 284.99  Q   2 Randy Anderson      4.848 318.92
 *****WINNER***** 0.683  8.411  99.19 E1                  0.000 (Broke)

Randy Anderson's team had some trouble in the pits, and are not able to make the call to the lanes. Too bad, Randy had posted career best numbers in qualifying.

Wyatt's engine sounded sour from the start, and after pedaling a couple of times he coasted to the finish line. He will face Ron Capps in round two, and Capps will have lane choice.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Cruz Pedregon       4.807 319.60  Q  16 Del Worsham         5.287 273.55
 *****WINNER***** 0.528  4.903 302.21 E1                  0.505  8.990 102.09

Cruz blew the burst panels out right in the lights, and came to a stop quickly to exit the car. There was no fire, so a motor change will be all that's required to get ready for round number two.

Worsham smoked the tires right at the start.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Tony Pedregon       4.875 311.31  Q  13 Jim Epler           5.193 289.38
 *****WINNER***** 0.566  4.988 296.34 E1                  0.567  5.527 208.76

Tony's funny car is sporting a beautiful likeness of the popular singer Selena on the front of his Funny Car. Selena's family is here this weekend to participate in the activities.

Epler dropped a clyinder at half track, and had his hands full trying to keep the Easy Care Funny Car from veering over to the left.

Tony will race either his boss John, or Tim Wilkerson in Round two.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 John Force          4.876 313.15  Q  12 Tim Wilkerson       5.161 217.75
 *****WINNER***** 0.538  4.839 319.94 E1                  0.544  4.944 301.70

Wilkerson took a shot at the Castrol machine, but John ran just .02 off the National record to move into the next round. At half track Wilkerson's speed was 234 miles per hour, John's a very quick 249.

John will face Tony Pedregon in the other Castrol machine, and will have lane choice in round number two.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   6 Chuck Etchells      4.930 309.06  Q  11 Glenn Mikres        5.121 298.30
                  0.558  8.426  97.68 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.583  5.044 301.70

Etchell's showed us the side of his Funny Car at the 200-foot mark once the tires lost their contact patch....

Mikres runs his first career 300 mile per hour pass, and gets a new ET best effort at the same time. His previous best was 5.094 295.00 run at Dallas last year.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   8 Tom Hoover          5.048 293.44  Q   9 Gary Densham        5.104 301.40
 *****WINNER***** 0.583  5.083 254.95 E1                  0.550  5.119 298.80

Hoover started mixing up some cylinders at the top end but had enough in the bank to hold on and beat Densham by a little over a foot. If the track had only been 14 inches longer.....

Hoover will face Cruz in round two, and Pedregon will have lane choice.

11:32 AM