Sun, 13 Nov 2011, 18:41 PM Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   31 Johnny Gray                             8 Robert Hight                 
E3                   0.068  7.473  83.20     ****WINNER****  0.079  4.079 315.42
 Prior rounds:
E2    (M Neff      ) 0.079  4.105 313.07      (R Capps     ) 0.088  4.091 311.77
E1    (J Force     ) 0.104  4.090 313.00      (G Densham   ) 0.085  4.149 309.13
 Qualified:             #6  4.107 308.28                        #2  4.084 312.13

3:30 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer 28.76 inches, adjusted altitude 2,685 feet, track temperature 84 degrees.

Hight is 3 - 1 against Gray in prior events. Both are out of the title chase, are racing for the event title opportunity.

Gray lost traction about 100 feet out and Robert Hight will get a shot at winning the event.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                             71 Cruz Pedregon                
E3   ****WINNER****  0.029  4.096 309.34                     0.049  4.113 311.77
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Beckman   ) 0.064  4.107 307.44      (M Troxel    ) 0.106  4.079 312.28
E1    (J Capps     ) 0.045  4.092 309.77      (B Tasca III ) 0.066  4.141 313.29
 Qualified:             #1  4.033 315.27                        #5  4.087 307.79

Hagan and Pedregon have each won 7 times against the other in prior events.

This could determine the 2011 champion. If Hagan wins, it's his. If Pedregon wins, he must also win the event to claim the championship.

Hagan won thhe 2011 championship in decisive fashion, leaving first and running quicker. Matt Hagan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.068), 330 ft(0.048), 660ft(0.044). MOV: 0.0374 seconds (approximately 17 feet).

Hagan finally gets the one that got away last year. He lost lane choice in the final round against Hight, but that probably doesn't make him feel bad at all. Pedregon will finish third, three points behind Jack Beckman.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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