Sat, 11 Nov 2006, 05:33 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   75 Mark Woznichak                         54 Vern Moats                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.075  5.686 251.39                     0.124 10.420  81.43
 Qualified:             #9  5.705 249.26                        #8  5.701 252.71

1:50 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.07 inches, adjusted altitude 2,234 feet, track temperature 91 degrees.

The first round of Alcohol Funny Car comes out for their first round under thickening skies and relatively cool temperatures. Woznichak was away first and Moats rattled the tires hard and his car dived towards the wall. He could only watch as 'The Woz' takes the win on his best hit of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  550 Shawn Jones                            73 Doug Gordon                  
E1                   0.202  5.951 244.78     ****WINNER****  0.060  5.786 251.34
 Qualified:            #10  5.728 249.63                        #7  5.684 253.52

Jones was really late and then the car let him down. Gordon goes to round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   62 Brian Hough                           777 John Patton                  
E1                   0.061  5.867 239.02     ****WINNER****  0.117  5.776 249.81
 Qualified:             #2  5.605 257.48                       #15  5.753 251.72

Hough actually had the lead in this pair until after the 330 marker. At that point Patton drove around him for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Dennis Taylor                           3 Steve Gasparrelli            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  5.696 252.05                     0.085  7.182 138.78
 Qualified:             #6  5.668 252.99                       #11  5.731 246.80

Taylor is a way first and Gasparrelli's woes continue. He was off the pedal before half track as the car made a huge dive to the right. Taylor stays glued for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  727 Ron August Jr                          52 Bernie Harrington            
E1                   0.081  5.798 222.11     ****WINNER****  0.065  5.811 243.72
 Qualified:             #5  5.660 246.84                       #12  5.734 248.89

August used all of his lane in the loss to Harrington. He wandered so hard that he might actually have touched the wall with the headers on the left side of the engine. Harrington with the win and a date for Sunday in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6237 Roger Bateman                          18 Ross Stickler                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.058  5.720 250.92                     0.115  5.820 247.11
 Qualified:             #3  5.631 255.00                       #14  5.739 248.89

Bateman follows the left lane pattern as the car makes the abrupt move towards the centerline. He hauled the car back and took the win over Stickler. 2:09 p.m. and guess what. We're stopped for a light rain shower. I knew it was getting dark out there.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   76 John Weaver                             8 David Ray                    
E1                   0.107  7.037 123.95     ****WINNER****  0.069  5.664 255.82
 Qualified:            #13  5.736 249.07                        #4  5.638 256.26

2:14 p.m. and the shower is over. Real bad luck for Weaver as his mount rattling the tires so hard that the chute came out at about 300 feet. Of course Ray runs a 5.6 and would have been tough.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Jay Payne                              65 Hank Coolidge                
E1                   0.040  6.848 139.27     ****WINNER****  0.008  5.774 234.74
 Qualified:             #1  5.601 260.46                       #16  5.756 247.93

Now here's a shocker. Coolidge has a psychic light. Payne had a problem and combined it means the #1 qualifier is outa here! That was by far and away the worst run of the weekend for Payne and darned near the best for Coolidge taking the win. Next round it's Coolidge vs Woznichak; Ray vs Harrington; Patton vs Gordon and Batemen vs Taylor. Alcohol dragsters are up next.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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