Sun, 10 Oct 2004, 12:13 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Del Worsham                            31 Johnny Gray
E1   ****WINNER****  0.100  4.841 319.29                     0.121  4.943 293.86
 Qualified:             #6  4.800 319.29                       #11  4.853 308.28

11:28 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 63 degrees, relative humidity 68 percent, barometer 29.45 inches, adjusted altitude 1,070 feet, track temperature 80 degrees.

Worsham has a seven to one advantage in head to head match ups. Worsham is out of the gate first and never looks back to take the win. He was moving around on the top end. It looked like Gray may have used up an engine on the top end with a big puff of smoke.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tim Wilkerson                         503 Tommy Johnson Jr.
E1   ****WINNER****  0.108  4.848 317.72                     0.103 11.592  93.15
 Qualified:             #7  4.813 310.70                       #10  4.841 315.49

Wilkerson is the defending event champion here and Johnson Jr. won this race in 1999. This is Johnson Jr.'s 199th Pro start. Johnson Jr. is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and that is the end of weekend. Wilkerson with a real nice looking pass to move on to round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Gary Scelzi                             2 Whit Bazemore
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  4.807 305.63                     0.091  7.678 109.24
 Qualified:             #5  4.796 318.77                       #12  4.871 294.43

Scelzi won this race in Top Fuel in 1998 and 2001. Bazemore holds a five to two advantage over Scelzi in head to head match ups. They leave together and then around 330 feet Bazemore starts to lose traction and pedals. He is not able to get it to hook up and Scelzi drives away with the win. Scelzi is the quickest so far today.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  716 Eric Medlen                           388 Jim Head
E1   ****WINNER****  0.107  4.840 310.13                     0.101  5.060 254.71
 Qualified:             #1  4.741 324.12                       #16  4.926 304.87

This is the 2nd time Medlen has qualified number one, the other time was in Englishtown and he lost in round one on a hole shot. Head and Force are the only two in Funny Car that also qualified for the first race here in 1985. Head with a slight starting line advantage and after that it all Medlen. Head got close to the center line, but reeled it in.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 John Force                            444 Jerry Toliver
E1   ****WINNER****  0.170  4.728 326.24                     0.107 11.950  76.39
 Qualified:             #2  4.754 323.81                       #15  4.912 306.95

Force has won here six times and holds a 16 to 4 advantage over Toliver in head to head match ups. Toliver with the starting line advantage, but Force has the difference made up by 60 feet and blast on through the 1320 for the track record. Force will have lane choice over Wilkerson.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Gary Densham                          156 Phil Burkart
E1   ****WINNER****  0.106  4.769 321.96                     0.105 14.156  78.43
 Qualified:             #4  4.796 323.74                       #13  4.877 280.31

Densham has beat Burkart all four times they have raced. They leave together, but after that is is all Densham as Burkart smokes the tires. Densham will have lane choice over Scelzi in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                           1 Tony Pedregon
E1                   0.083  6.417 143.64     ****WINNER****  0.081  4.830 315.71
 Qualified:             #8  4.819 318.62                        #9  4.836 315.86

They leave the starting line at the same time and then Cruz starts smoking the tires by 330 feet. Tony with a nice looking pass, his best pass of the weekend. He will have lane choice over Medlen in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             170 Jeff Arend
E1   ****WINNER****  0.096  4.836 311.56                     0.085  5.193 221.63
 Qualified:             #3  4.777 321.04                       #14  4.881 309.13

Arend with a slight starting line advantage, but after that it was all Capps. Arend used up an engine on the top end. Capps will have lane choice over Worsham,

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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