Sun, 29 Sep 2019, 13:01 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

MADISON, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, eighth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  340 Bob Bode                                2 Robert Hight                 
E1                   0.106  4.013 320.36     ****WINNER****  0.063  3.921 331.85
 Qualified:            #13  3.967 322.96                        #4  3.877 334.90

11:34 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 64 percent, barometer 29.63 inches, adjusted altitude 3,079 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

Robert Hight is the defending event champion. This is the 100th start for Bob Bode.

Hight gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. Bode comes off the line and the rear of the car starts dancing around. He stays on the throttle, gets the car to settle down, but Hight went right down the groove with a good pass for the conditions and pulls away for the win.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.264, 660ft-3.183/282.48 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                          77 Bob Tasca III                
E1                   0.076  5.588 129.10     ****WINNER****  0.079  3.920 328.22
 Qualified:            #14  4.014 320.05                        #3  3.855 327.51

Pedregon is 16 - 11 against Tasca III in prior events.

Pedregon gets a small advantage off the line, gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. He clicks it off and watches tasca pull away. Tasca went right down the groove with a clean, straight pass and pulls away for the win.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.249, 660ft-3.175/280.54 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Terry Haddock                           9 John Force                   
E1                   0.165  9.152  77.06     ****WINNER****  0.143  3.939 326.08
 Qualified:            #16  4.232 285.11                        #1  3.842 334.40

This is the 159th time that John Force has qualified #1 and the 4th time this year. He has started from the #1 spot more times than any other qualifying position. John won this race in 2013.

Terry Haddock is making his 109th start.

Force is 4 - 1 against Haddock in prior events.

Haddock is a little behind off the line, gets about 50 feet out and goes up in smoke. Force goes right down the groove with a good pass and he pulls away for the win.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.886 sec., 330ft-2.268, 660ft-3.191/279.67 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  703 Jim Campbell                         2814 Matt Hagan                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.051  4.197 249.39                     0.095  4.204 265.06
 Qualified:            #15  4.038 314.90                        #2  3.854 333.08

Hagan is 5 - 1 against Campbell in prior events.

Campbell gets the holeshot but hagan reeled him in before they reached the sixty foot mark. hagan starts to pull away, gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. He pedals and tries to recover but Campbell is able to get around him about 600 feet out and pull away for the win.

Jim Campbell's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.003), 330 ft(-0.028), 660ft(0.004). MOV: 0.0511 seconds (approximately 20 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  256 Blake Alexander                        28 Ron Capps                    
E1                   0.077  3.997 319.29     ****WINNER****  0.089  3.966 328.86
 Qualified:            #12  3.960 323.43                        #5  3.877 332.84

Capps is 3 - 1 against Alexander in prior events.

Ron Capps won this race in 2017.

Alexander gets out of the gate first but starts to move around. Capps gets around him quickly, then Alexander starts reeling him back in about 300 feet out. Alexander gains a little ground, then Capps is able to pull away near the end of the run.

Ron Capps' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.017), 330 ft(0.011), 660ft(0.006). MOV: 0.0197 seconds (approximately 9 feet).

Hight will have lane choice over Capps in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Tim Wilkerson                         801 Jonnie Lindberg              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.080  3.915 325.14                     0.072  5.162 158.52
 Qualified:            #11  3.949 309.91                        #6  3.878 328.46

This (#6) is the best starting spot for Jonnie Lindberg in his last 22 races.

Wilkerson is 4 - 1 against Lindberg in prior events.

Lindberg gets the holeshot, stays in front to the sixty foot mark, then he strikes the tires and has to back off the throttle. Wilkerson goes around him just past the sixty foot mark and pulls away for the win with the quickest pass of the round so far and his quickest pass of the weekend.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.879 sec., 330ft-2.252, 660ft-3.169/279.85 mph.

Wilkerson will have lane choice over Tasca in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  333 Shawn Langdon                           3 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.047  3.907 330.47                     0.113  3.898 324.44
 Qualified:            #10  3.905 330.72                        #7  3.889 324.59

Langdon is 3 - 2 against Johnson Jr. in prior events.

Langdon gets the advantage off the line but Johnson starts reeling him in quickly. Johnson continues to gain ground, makes the quickest pass of the round so far, but Langdon hangs on and takes the holeshot win.

Shawn Langdon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.069), 330 ft(0.055), 660ft(0.051). MOV: 0.0571 seconds (approximately 27 feet).

Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.253, 660ft-3.169/281.25 mph.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.242, 660ft-3.154/282.78 mph.

Langdon will have lane choice over Campbell in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Jack Beckman                            1 J.R. Todd                    
E1                   0.096  3.944 326.56     ****WINNER****  0.084  3.954 327.27
 Qualified:             #9  3.894 326.16                        #8  3.890 333.58

Jack Beckman has won this event twice, 2012 & 2016. He is 4 - 0 against J.R. Todd in their first round matches.

Beckman is 7 - 5 against Todd in prior events.

Todd gets out of the gate but Beckman gets around him at the 330 foot mark. Todd pulls back even at 660 feet, then is able to pull away and take the holeshot win.

J.R. Todd's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.003), 330 ft(-0.002), 660ft(0.000). MOV: 0.0024 seconds (approximately 14 inches).

Force will have lane choice over Todd in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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