Sun, 29 Oct 2000, 12:04 PM HOUSTON-2 - Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the 4th annual Matco Tools SuperNationals presented by Racing Champions:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   3 Jim Epler           4.892 309.91  Q   14 Ron Capps           5.007 275.00
                  0.543  4.973 279.90  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.497  4.858 310.20

11:22 AM Capps has just about owned Jim Epler so far this season. Coming into this race Capps holds a 5-2 advantage. Top Fuel was very strange in the first round so I'm really not sure what to expect from the Funny Cars. Well the domination continues for Capps. He left first and was never headed. Just before the lights there was some fire from under Epler's mount but apparently there was no oil to go with it.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Tim Wilkerson       4.913 312.21  Q   13 Phil Burkart        4.993 311.41
                  0.539 No Time        E1 *****WINNER***** 0.546  7.009 205.13

Wilkerson, in the Levi, Ray & Shoup racer has to be the big favorite but things have been a bit strange this morning. This pass was no exception to the strange part. Wilkerson smokes the tires and pedals his racer. On the pedal job the burst panel blew out and that was followed by the entire body came off the car. The body remained attached by the parachute shroud lines and he towed the body along behind for several hundred feet. In the other lane Burkart had no idea what was going on and he had problems of his own. About 200 feet out he struck the tires big time but since he didn't see Wilkerson he proceeded to lay down a wall of smoke that Wilkerson could not have seen through. The ghosts and gremlins are having a great time today, but mostly the gremlins.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  16 Johnny Gray         5.022 297.42  Q    1 Bruce Sarver        4.876 310.55
 *****WINNER***** 0.527  4.968 303.84  E1                  0.580 No Time

Wilkerson apologized to the the fans for the delay in cleaning up the mess he made. But, after several minutes we are back in business. Sarver and Gray have actually raced each other one time this season, with the win going to Sarver. Well, the the series is now tied. Rick Cassel is jumping up and down on the starting line as his driver takes out the #1 qualifier in the first round. To make matters worse Sarver clipped the 1000 foot cone so his numbers don't matter.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 John Force          4.878 311.77  Q   15 Cristen Powell      5.010 294.75
 *****WINNER***** 0.510  4.847 313.00  E1                  0.525  4.971 274.00

Force can clinch his tenth title this weekend but the way the event has been going, who knows! No upset here. Force leaves on her and moves ahead at each interval down the track. Cristen was right there with the champ until engine pieces started eating themselves up. Don't overlook Cristen's ET as that was a really nice pass.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 Whit Bazemore       4.919 313.00  Q   12 Tommy Johnson Jr.   4.991 293.41
 *****WINNER***** 0.551  4.946 311.77  E1                  0.480  5.515 259.91

These two are one and one for the season and each time before they took turns knocking each other out of the #1 qualifying position. This time TJ loses traction about 500 feet out and the race is over. Whit will have lane choice over Burkart next round.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   6 Bob Gilbertson      4.934 308.28  Q   11 Jerry Toliver       4.985 305.22
 *****WINNER***** 0.494  4.966 307.72  E1                  0.550  4.957 310.55

Oh boy. Toliver was late and that was the end of his hopes as he is now eliminated from the championship race. Gilbertson moves on to face Capps in the next round and Capps will have lane choice.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   7 Gary Densham        4.948 306.95  Q   10 Frank Pedregon      4.949 305.84
                  0.523  9.146  97.06  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.510  5.144 273.72

Densham smokes the tires about 400 feet out and this race was over. Pedregon slowed in the other lane but he will move to the next round and face off against Force. Lane choice is not a question.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   8 Tony Pedregon       4.948 304.39  Q    9 Dean Skuza          4.948 298.73
 *****WINNER***** 0.508  4.895 299.46  E1                  0.526  6.808 133.47

This was a good side by side match until Skuza struck the tires and watched Tony streak away to the finish line. There was a big cloud of smoke from the Mustang just before the lights and track equipment is going down to the other end. It may be just part of the Pro Stock shuffle that's about to occur before the first round of the factory hotrods. Pedregon will have lane choice over Johnny Gray in round two.




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