Sun, 16 Mar 2003, 12:43 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 34th annual MAC Tools NHRA Gatornationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   73 Frank Pedregon                         10 Johnny Gray
E1                   0.045 14.545  81.46     ****WINNER****  0.052  5.020 296.93
 Qualified:            #12  4.883 312.17                        #5  4.836 314.79

12:03 PM Current weather conditions: 62 degrees, 88 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.95 inches, with a track temperature of 101 degrees.

Pedregon strikes the tires as soon as he hits the throttle. Gray goes right down the groove and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             347 Tim Wilkerson
E1   ****WINNER****  0.076  5.288 211.61                     0.097  6.396 135.62
 Qualified:            #14  4.912 314.68                        #3  4.832 316.45

Wilkerson gets about 300 feet out, breaks the tires loose and gives up on the run. Capps gets about 1000 feet out and the engine explodes. He crosses the finish-line, drifts to the left and hits the wall. The car rolls to a stop and Capps gets out, a little dazed but okay.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Scotty Cannon                           2 Tony Pedregon
E1                   0.068  4.923 316.01     ****WINNER****  0.051  4.866 310.45
 Qualified:            #16  5.072 300.10                        #1  4.811 315.67

Cannon has been having problems all weekend, only getting down the track without losing traction once. He keeps the slicks stuck on this run and makes his best pass of the weekend. Pedregon was on a good pass but started mixing up cylinders about 1000 feet out.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  302 Dale Creasy Jr.                         9 Dean Skuza
E1                   0.077  4.973 303.33     ****WINNER****  0.090  4.866 310.98
 Qualified:            #15  4.958 310.45                        #2  4.821 313.47

Creasy got a small jump off the line and extended his lead for the first sixty feet. Skuza reeled him in soon after and extended his lead at every incremental.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                           5 Whit Bazemore
E1                   0.074  5.203 218.07     ****WINNER****  0.071  4.827 324.32
 Qualified:            #13  4.898 315.34                        #4  4.835 321.88

Pedregon gets a little out of shape about 800 feet out, the car moving to the left, and he finally has to lift. Bazemore makes his best pass of the weekend and takes the win. He will have lane choice over Gray in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  206 Bob Gilbertson                          4 Gary Densham
E1                   0.043  4.948 310.45     ****WINNER****  0.073  4.886 320.85
 Qualified:            #11  4.883 315.01                        #6  4.838 320.85

Gilbertson leaves first and was ahead at the sixty-foot mark. Densham starts reeling him in and passes him before they get to half-track. He will have lane choice over Capps in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   20 Gary Scelzi                             1 John Force
E1   ****WINNER****  0.053  4.905 313.91                     0.044  4.973 296.54
 Qualified:            #10  4.873 313.69                        #7  4.839 316.90

Forces problems continue. He leaves first and starts pulling away. About 300 feet out he starts mixing up cylinders and Scelzi drives around for the win. Scelzi will give up lane choice to Skuza in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  503 Tommy Johnson Jr.                       3 Del Worsham
E1                   0.053  5.007 286.07     ****WINNER****  0.104  4.934 308.11
 Qualified:             #9  4.860 313.47                        #8  4.856 307.69

Johnson gets a big jump off the line and stays ahead through the 1000-foot mark. Worsham goes right down the groove and drives around him for the win.Del Worsham's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.041), 330 ft(-0.042), 660ft(-0.025), 1,000ft(-0.010). MOV: 0.0226 seconds (approximately 9 feet). Worsham gives up lane choice to Tony Pedregon in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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