Sun, 23 May 2010, 12:56 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Tim Wilkerson                         116 Paul Lee                     
E1                   0.073  4.269 289.45     ****WINNER****  0.116  4.168 298.60
 Qualified:             #2  4.103 307.16                       #15  4.507 263.98

Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 70 percent, barometer 28.63 inches, adjusted altitude 3,966 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

Wilkerson is 1 - 0 against Lee in prior events. Wilkerson with the starting line advantage, but Lee chases him down around 250 feet and then he runs career best E.T. for the upset win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  170 Jeff Arend                            719 Jeff Diehl                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.120  4.146 301.33                     0.098  7.961  87.18
 Qualified:             #3  4.104 305.84                       #14  4.373 264.70

This is the first time Arend and Diehl have faced each other in eliminations. Diehl with the starting line advantage, but then starts to shake and pedals it before clicking it off. Arend with another good looking pass for the win light.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Jack Beckman                            8 Bob Tasca III                
E1                   0.098  4.173 302.01     ****WINNER****  0.077  4.150 305.22
 Qualified:             #4  4.113 306.26                       #13  4.256 294.05

Beckman is 4 - 1 against Tasca III in prior events. Tasca III was out of the gate first and never trailed has he runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.366, 660ft-3.350/260.71 mph. Bob Tasca III's MOV: 0.0440 seconds (approximately 19 feet). Beckman with a good looking pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Robert Hight                               Bye
E1   ****WINNER****  0.107  4.074 310.70     
 Qualified:             #1  4.095 308.21                     Bye

Hight gets the bye here with his 35th number one qualifying spot. He runs the quickest pass of the weekend on the single. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.326, 660ft-3.288/265.90 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                              71 Cruz Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  4.136 299.40                     0.053  4.228 289.94
 Qualified:             #5  4.117 305.42                       #12  4.206 286.92

Capps is 21 - 17 against Pedregon in prior events. Pedregon with the starting line advantage , but Capps has him chased down by 200 feet and then blast on through for the win. Capps with another good looking pass. Pedregon slowed from his qualifying time in the lost. Capps will have lane choice over his teammate Beckman in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 John Force                           2814 Matt Hagan                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.052  4.144 307.09                     0.070  4.166 300.66
 Qualified:             #6  4.118 307.58                       #11  4.200 297.61

Force is 2 - 0 against Hagan in prior events. Force has bee to all 22 Summer Nationals here in Topeka and has been to 11 final rounds here. This is goo drag race with Force getting the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win by about 18 feet. Force will have lane choice over Arend in the next round. Hagan runs his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  388 Jim Head                                6 Tony Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  4.173 303.64                     0.090  4.204 300.20
 Qualified:             #7  4.125 296.31                       #10  4.195 299.00

Pedregon is 8 - 4 against Head in prior events. PEdregon with a slight starting line advantage, and the lead until around half track. Head chased down and was able to hold on for the win by 0.0248 seconds (approximately 11 feet). Pedregon started to drift out of the groove on the top end. Head will give up lane choice to Lee in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Ashley Force Hood                       7 Del Worsham                  
E1                   0.103  4.117 302.89     ****WINNER****  0.072  4.137 304.87
 Qualified:             #8  4.133 303.37                        #9  4.173 303.78

Force Hood is 11 - 4 against Worsham in prior events and Force Hood holds a seven to one advantage in round one meetings. Worsham is out of the gate first and has the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Del Worsham's MOV: 0.0117 seconds (approximately 5 feet). worsham runs his quickest pass of the weekend. Worsham will give up lane choice to Hight in round two. Force Hood with her quickest pass of the weekend and the second quickest of the round in the losing effort.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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