Mon, 3 Sep 2007, 12:56 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Frank Manzo                            32 Marty Nothstein              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.050  5.633 260.41                     0.029  5.706 255.92
 Prior rounds:
E1    (V Moats     ) 0.112  5.551 262.33      (D Wilkerson ) 0.042  5.694 245.63
 Qualified:             #1  5.498 264.34                        #9  5.614 255.58

12:40 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 92 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 29.21 inches, adjusted altitude 3,194 feet, track temperature 114 degrees.

Nothstein had a great RT last round, so Manzo needs to be ready.

Nothstein does it again with another great RT, but Manzo just flies on by before the sixty foot lights and pulls steadily ahead to win by over a car length.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Steve Harker                            2 Jay Payne                    
E2                   0.158  5.568 258.67     ****WINNER****  0.028  5.648 257.68
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Cheeseman ) 0.090  5.596 257.53      (M Ferro     ) 0.078  5.659 258.52
 Qualified:             #4  5.579 259.46                        #5  5.595 259.96

Two very agressive drivers on the line. Big advantage off the line for Payne and he needed it. Harker is unusually late off the line and never comes close to catching the Valvoline Mustang.

Manzo will keep lane choice in round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  237 Von Smith                            3371 Fred Hagen                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.040  5.644 256.36                    -0.500  5.644 257.58
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Bohl      ) 0.035  5.602 256.16      (P Gill      ) 0.151  7.667 147.65
 Qualified:             #3  5.556 259.26                        #6  5.608 259.01

Hagen goes red and then runs an identical ET to Smith. Smith had a great 0.040 light and would have been hard to beat.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1777 Bob Tasca III                           4 Bob Newberry                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.049  5.604 258.81                     0.053  5.926 251.16
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Snyder    ) 0.066  5.615 258.96      (K Kraus     ) 0.003  5.664 255.82
 Qualified:             #2  5.547 261.47                       #10  5.631 256.84

Tasca will likely move up to Fuel Funny Car next year.

Newberry bobbles just pass the 330 lights and Tasca motors on by to take the decisive win. He runs the best ET and Speed of the session and will have lane choice over Smith in the next round.

12:51 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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