Sun, 21 Sep 2008, 03:20 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Pedregon                           2 Robert Hight                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.058  4.232 293.98                     0.060  4.233 292.01
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Arend     ) 0.086  4.147 296.57      (J Head      ) 0.115  4.164 297.35
 Qualified:             #8  4.110 300.20                        #1  4.063 301.81

2:04 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 41 percent, barometer 29.53 inches, adjusted altitude 3,298 feet, track temperature 126 degrees.

This is a big race, Hight is second in the points, Pedregon is one point behind in third.

This was a close one. Pedregon was just a tick better off the line and started pulling away. Hight started to make up ground and pulled almost even at the 660-foot mark. Pedregon started pulling back out in front and held on for the win.

Tony Pedregon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.004), 330 ft(0.011), 660ft(0.001). MOV: 0.0033 seconds (approximately 17 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Jack Beckman                          782 Gary Densham                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.128  4.187 289.57                     0.115  4.355 232.63
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Toliver   ) 0.126  4.128 291.82      (M Troxel    ) 0.122  4.327 280.31
 Qualified:             #5  4.099 300.00                       #13  4.175 292.14

Densham gets a little advantage off the line, then starts to drift to the left. he gets close to the center-line about 900 feet out but steers it back to the center. Beckman drives around Densham quickly, goes right down the groove, and makes the quickest pass of the round so far.

The next round will be big, Beckman has a one point lead over Tony Pedregon in the points chase and will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  347 Tim Wilkerson                        1777 Bob Tasca III                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.093  4.187 296.11                     0.095  4.308 261.62
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Capps     ) 0.132  4.120 298.34      (D Worsham   ) 0.104  4.230 291.89
 Qualified:             #6  4.099 299.66                       #14  4.186 292.84

Tasca is the only car not in the countdown that is still left in competition. Wilkerson is eleven points behind the leader.

They leave the line together, then Wilkerson starts to pull away and extends his lead all the way through the run. The win moves Wilkerson up to third place in the points.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 John Force                             10 Ashley Force                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.112  4.171 298.27                     0.098 No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Pedregon  ) 0.061  4.163 302.48      (G Scelzi    ) 0.091  4.190 297.29
 Qualified:             #7  4.109 301.33                        #2  4.092 304.46

John and Ashley are even in career meetings with two each. Both are in the countdown, Ashley in sixth right now, John in the ninth spot with a lot of ground to make up after two consecutive DNQ's.

Ashley leaves first but John pulls even at the sixty foot mark and starts to pull away. Ashley gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires, then the car makes a hard move to the left, crosses the center-line, then takes out the half-track timing blocks.

John Force will have lane choice over Wilkerson in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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