Mon, 01 Sep 2014, 12:11 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 60th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                            3111 Chad Head                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.094  4.069 316.97                     0.107  4.083 315.05
 Qualified:             #5  4.026 320.36                       #12  4.073 313.88

11:35 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 76 percent, barometer 28.98 inches, adjusted altitude 3,333 feet, track temperature 95 degrees.

This is Capps' 19th Indy start, but he has gotten out of round 1 just seven times in his prior 18 starts here. This is Head's second Indy start and he survived round 1 last year. This is only the third time these two have lined up against each other, evenly split at 1-1. The only time they met in round 1 prior to today, Head won, at Bristol last year.

Good side-by-side race. Capps got a small advantage at the green and held that lead the rest of the way for the win.

Ron Capps' incremental margins: 60ft(0.014), 330 ft(0.024), 660ft(0.026). MOV: 0.0276 seconds (approximately 13 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jack Beckman                          256 Blake Alexander              
E1                   0.091  6.652 110.25     ****WINNER****  0.072  4.133 304.39
 Qualified:             #2  4.004 312.13                       #15  4.144 299.46

This is Beckman's ninth Indy start and he has gotten past round 1 at five of the prior eight. It is Alexander's first Indy start. They are 1-1 against each other at prior events and the only time they lined up against each other in round 1, at Bristol last year, Alexander got the win light. Beckman trails Wilkerson by 10 points for the final Countdown spot.

Beckman was up in smoke almost immediately, giving Alexander an easy win.

That clinches Countdown berths for Del Worsham, Cruz Pedregon and Tim Wilkerson.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Matt Hagan                            340 Bob Bode                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.053  4.404 260.16                     0.094  4.464 210.64
 Qualified:             #1  3.998 316.01                       #16  4.436 222.99

This is Hagan's seventh Indy start and he has gotten out of the first round in three of the previous six starts here. This is Bode's fourth Indy start, he has yet to get past round 1. This is the fourth time these two have raced each other, third time in round 1, Hagan has won all four times.

This looked like a sure thing for Hagan for about 500 feet, then Hagan started smoking the tires and dropping cylinders. Bode's car had some problems of its own, but he rapidly closed the gap and may have led briefly past the 660-foot marker. Hagan managed to get the tires hooked up and surged ahead for the win. Bode was charged for oil in his lane in the shutdown.

Matt Hagan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.105), 330 ft(0.129), 660ft(0.055). MOV: 0.1013 seconds (approximately 31 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Courtney Force                         77 Bob Tasca III                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.053  4.080 319.14                     0.072  4.786 178.02
 Qualified:             #3  4.005 322.73                       #14  4.103 309.06

This is Courtney Force's third Indy start and she is 1-1 in round 1 here. This is Tasca's 7th Indy start, with three prior round 1 wins. Force holds a 9-2 edge against Tasca, 5-1 in round 1.

Force led this one all the way, but it was close until Tasca smoked the tires before the 600-foot timing mark. Force's car didn't have any problems and she won easily.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  750 Del Worsham                           170 Jeff Arend                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.063  4.054 314.02                     0.049  4.697 204.88
 Qualified:             #4  4.016 317.12                       #13  4.082 314.02

This is Worsham's 21st Indy start and he has 11 round 1 wins in the prior 20 starts. It is Arend's ninth Indy start, with four round wins in the prior eight starts. Worsham holds an 8-2 record against Arend in prior events, 6-0 in round 1.

After watching Force and Tasca, Worsham made a lane swap, choosing the left lane.

Worsham had the early lead and was pulling away even before Arend lost traction around the 600-foot mark.

Worsham will have lane choice against Capps in round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Tim Wilkerson                          33 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E1                   0.084  4.912 162.14     ****WINNER****  0.060  4.059 316.01
 Qualified:             #6  4.026 317.49                       #11  4.053 316.67

This is Wilkerson's 19th Indy start and TJ's 15th. Wilkerson is 9-9 in round 1 here, Johnson is 5-10. In head-to-head matchups, Johnson has a 13-5 edge, but that narrows to 7-5 in round 1 faceoffs. He clinched the tenth Countdown spot when Beckman smoked his tires earlier in this round.

Beckman's bad luck was Wilkerson's good luck because Wilkerson also fell victim to tire smoke, around half track, the car wagging its tail two or three times.

TJ made a nice run, almost matching his qualifying pace. He will have lane choice against Courtney Force in round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  771 Alexis DeJoria                          4 Cruz Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.096  4.077 313.22                     0.051  4.825 186.23
 Qualified:             #7  4.033 316.52                       #10  4.046 308.78

This is DeJoria's third Indy start and she has won both of her prior round one appearances. It is Pedregon's 20th Indy start and he has won 13 of the prior 19 round 1 appearances. These two are evenly matched against each other, 2-2, and this is the first time they have ever raced each other in an opening round.

Pedregon had a nice advantage at the green, but started hazing the tires early in the run and DeJoria led from 330 feet on.

DeJoria will have lane choice against Alexander in round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                              5 Robert Hight                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.099  4.029 321.35                     0.073  6.522 103.43
 Qualified:             #8  4.042 319.75                        #9  4.042 318.24

This is Force's 31st Indy start, Hight's 10th. Force has 21 round 1 wins in the prior 30, Hight has 6. They are tied at 16-16 against each other, Force is 6-5 in round 1. Force beat Hight in the Traxxas Shootout yesterday.

Hight was away first, but started hazing the tires about 100 fet out and Force streaked away with low ET of the round. He will have lane choice against hagan in round 2.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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