Sat, 10 Feb 2007, 05:28 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, 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7238 Bret Williamson                         1 Frank Manzo
E1                   0.214  5.873 244.65     ****WINNER****  0.074  5.500 263.10
 Qualified:            #16  5.788 242.10                        #1  5.501 264.23

1:53 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 29.11 inches, adjusted altitude 2,146 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

What else can I say about Manzo. He trees Williamson and runs his quickest pass of the weekend and is over 263 mph...again!

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Doug Gordon                            62 Clint Thompson
E1                   0.073  5.857 212.66     ****WINNER****  0.063  5.639 255.24
 Qualified:            #14  5.775 257.97                        #3  5.576 257.04

Thompson got a slight lead at the hit and that was all shew wrote for Gordon. Thompson out runs Gordon by two tenths and moves on to the second round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 John Patton                             2 Jay Payne
E1                   0.073  5.790 246.53     ****WINNER****  0.029  5.715 254.28
 Qualified:            #15  5.787 239.27                        #2  5.557 260.36

How would you like to cut a .073 light in an alky funny car and be about .05 behind. Ouch! Payne gets away with a 5.715 to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  766 Jason Rupert                         1777 Bob Tasca III
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.062  6.517 149.25
 Qualified:            #13  5.770 250.46                        #4  5.623 257.14

Rupert's crew gets big props for getting the car ready for the first round. Except for just one little thing. As the car rolled to a stop on the burnout he pulled over against the wall and started to unbuckle. Tasca made the run but his car disappeared behind a lot of smoke. That's the second time this weekend that he's had that much smoke trailing behind the car. Tasca was very upset when he got out of the car.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  765 Bernie Harrington                      65 Ken Kraus
E1                   0.070 15.104  63.35     ****WINNER****  0.044  5.826 246.12
 Qualified:             #9  5.721 249.67                        #8  5.700 253.42

When Harrington brought the rpms up the car dragged it's self through the first bulb and he deepstaged. Kraus was away first and Harrington spun the tires hard at 30 feet. This will come as no surprise but Manzo has choice over Kraus next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   76 Mark Woznichak                         73 Steve Gasparrelli
E1   ****WINNER****  0.009  5.732 250.51                     0.083 No Time
 Qualified:             #7  5.661 250.92                       #10  5.726 255.73

This was wild for both drivers. Gasparrelli rode the center stripe to mid track and then crossed over into The Woz's lane. Gasparrelli was able get the chutes out so he just drafted Woznichak and finished in his lane. Payne will have choice over The Woz.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  799 Sean Bellemeur                         75 Dennis Taylor
E1   ****WINNER****  0.035  5.709 252.10                     0.080  5.667 255.29
 Qualified:            #12  5.742 254.33                        #5  5.629 256.41

We have a winner on a holeshot! Bellemeur trees Taylor and Sean Bellemeur's MOV: 0.0035 seconds (approximately 16 inches). What a race that was! Bellemeur wins lane choice over Tasca.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  727 Ron August Jr                           3 Brian Hough
E1                  -0.015  5.593 256.60     ****WINNER****  0.031  5.700 247.66
 Qualified:            #11  5.741 252.14                        #6  5.641 258.12

August goes red by .015 and he faces Thompson in round 2 without lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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