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Sun, 21 Sep 2014, 13:01 PM

Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations
By Dave Rowe





ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                            170 Jeff Arend                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.109  4.111 309.42                     0.043  4.259 293.66
 Qualified:             #5  4.081 314.24                       #12  4.106 310.55
11:34 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 29.53 inches, adjusted altitude 3,185 feet, track temperature 120 degrees.

Force is 16 - 5 against Arend in prior events.

John Force's red light in the finals yesterday was only the 4th time in his career (236 final rounds) that he fouled out in the final round of an event.

This was a good side-by-side, both right down the track. Arend gets out of the gate first and stayed in front through the sixty foot mark. Force powered by just before the 330 foot mark and slowly pulled away to take the win.

John Force's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.028), 330 ft(0.009), 660ft(0.041). MOV: 0.0828 seconds (approximately 36 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   33 Tommy Johnson Jr.                       4 Cruz Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  4.775 169.91                    -0.059  4.256 300.80
 Qualified:             #4  4.076 309.42                       #13  4.157 293.73
Pedregon is 11 - 9 against Johnson Jr. in prior events.

Johnson dodges a bullet here. Pedregon leaves a little too early and goes red. Johnson gets about 500 feet out, strikes the tires and has to back off the throttle.

John Force will have lane choice over Pedregon in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Courtney Force                         72 Tony Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.102  4.173 305.56                     0.101  4.232 297.81
 Qualified:             #1  4.039 314.90                       #16  4.658 180.94
Courtney is 3 - 1 against Pedregon in prior events.

This is the fourth time Courtney has qualified number one this year, the seventh in her career.

For his career Tony Pedregon is 38-69 against members of the Force family. The only one he has a winning record against is Ashley (11-5)

They come off the line together, then Courtney starts pulling away. Pedregon stayed close for the first 600 feet, then looks like he started mixing up cylinders. Courtney pulled away and went on for the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                              10 Tim Wilkerson                
E1                   0.085  4.223 295.72     ****WINNER****  0.102  4.173 304.25
 Qualified:             #3  4.051 311.92                       #14  4.269 293.09
Capps is 31 - 16 against Wilkerson in prior events.

Another good side-by-side, both right down the groove. Capps gets out of the gate first but Wilkerson started reeling him in quickly. Wilkerson drives around him just past the 330 foot marker and pulls away for the win.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.032), 330 ft(-0.008), 660ft(0.014). MOV: 0.0335 seconds (approximately 15 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  771 Alexis DeJoria                        719 Jeff Diehl                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.100  4.171 299.06                     0.152  6.424 104.10
 Qualified:             #2  4.041 305.42                       #15  4.537 225.90
This is the first time DeJoria and Diehl have faced each other in eliminations.

DeJoria gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. Diehl starts rattling the tires early and gets out of the groove. He gets about 200 feet out, the car makes a hard move toward the centerline and he is off the throttle by the time he gets to the 330 foot mark. DeJoria goes right down the groove and takes the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Matt Hagan                             77 Bob Tasca III                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.087  4.221 270.81                     0.122  4.243 297.29
 Qualified:             #6  4.083 312.86                       #11  4.096 306.26
Hagan and Tasca III have each won 7 times against the other in prior events.

Hagan gets off the line first and starts pulling away. He gets about 800 feet out and starts hazing the tires. Tasca starts to make up ground but quickly runs out of room.

Matt Hagan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.059), 330 ft(0.090), 660ft(0.113). MOV: 0.0572 seconds (approximately 25 feet).

Wilkerson will have lane choice over Hagan in round two.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3111 Chad Head                             750 Del Worsham                  
E1                   0.102  4.257 293.09     ****WINNER****  0.098  4.213 297.16
 Qualified:             #7  4.084 309.06                       #10  4.088 307.79
Worsham is 4 - 3 against Head in prior events.

This is Worsham's 500th race. He has 814 round wins for his career.

They come off the line together, stay together for the first 300 feet, then Worsham starts pulling away and takes the win.

Del Worsham's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.004), 330 ft(0.006), 660ft(0.033). MOV: 0.0482 seconds (approximately 21 feet).

DeJoria will have lane choice over Worsham in round two.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jack Beckman                            5 Robert Hight                 
E1                   0.129 10.679  71.72     ****WINNER****  0.091  4.501 271.57
 Qualified:             #8  4.087 312.35                        #9  4.088 312.13
Hight is 16 - 11 against Beckman in prior events.

Beckman hits the throttle and blows the tires off. The car almost turns sideways and he has to give up on the run. Hight gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. He pedals, then the slicks bite and he goes on through for the win.

Courtney Force will have lane choice over Hight in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink




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