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Sun, 19 May 2019, 12:58 PM

Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations
By Rick Green





DINWIDDIE, Va. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Second annual Virginia NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                           2 Robert Hight                 
E1                   0.069  4.057 304.74     ****WINNER****  0.061  4.013 316.97
 Qualified:            #11  4.017 309.77                        #6  3.967 326.32
Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 29.79 inches, adjusted altitude 3,058 feet, track temperature 123 degrees.

This is only the third time this year that Robert Hight hasn't started from the No.1 spot in the field.

This is the 1,059th round for Cruz Pedregon and he is just one of 12 drivers to have competed in more than 1,000 rounds in the pro classes.

Hight is 29 - 15 against Pedregon in prior events.

Hight with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Robert Hight's MOV: 0.0520 seconds (approximately 23 feet).

Pedregon with a good looking pass in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  703 Jim Campbell                           28 Ron Capps                    
E1                   0.093  6.497  99.14     ****WINNER****  0.081  3.997 313.58
 Qualified:            #14  4.085 309.34                        #3  3.927 321.50
Ron Capps starts the day with an overall record of 723 - 457. His 1,180 rounds are fourth most among all pro drivers.

Jim Campbell is making his 62nd start and his 14th from the No. 14 qualifying position.

Capps is 6 - 0 against Campbell in prior events.

Capps with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will have lane choice over Hight in the next round.

Campbell started to smoke the tires around 300 feet and clicked it off.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  717 Jeff Diehl                              9 John Force                   
E1                   0.107 11.009  80.03     ****WINNER****  0.119  4.004 317.64
 Qualified:            #16  5.619 125.54                        #1  3.899 321.88
John Force qualified No. 1 for the 157th time and the first time at this event. This is the 34th different event where John has been No. 1. He was runner-up here last year.

Jeff Diehl is making his 72nd start in the Funny Car class.

Force is 9 - 0 against Diehl in prior events.

Diehl with the starting line advantage and was up in smoke as soon as he hit throttle and clicked it off.

Force is straight down the groove for the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Terry Haddock                           3 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E1                   0.133  4.132 296.24     ****WINNER****  0.095  4.027 316.52
 Qualified:            #15  4.170 296.96                        #2  3.922 323.58
Tommy Johnson is 12 - 2 in round 1 when starting from the No.2 qualifying spot. He starts the day with 804 rounds in the pro classes and he is the 21st pro driver to compete in 800 or more rounds.

This is the 100th start for Terry Haddock, split between Top Fuel and Funny Car.

Johnson Jr. with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.

Haddock with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Bob Tasca III                           1 J.R. Todd                    
E1                   0.075  4.086 313.80     ****WINNER****  0.060  4.074 306.95
 Qualified:            #13  4.045 316.23                        #4  3.961 318.47
J.R. Todd is 220 - 185 for his career (54%) and is 113 - 90 (56%) in round 1.

This is the 210th race for Bob Tasca.

Todd is 5 - 2 against Tasca III in prior events.

Todd with the starting line advantage and kept it hooked up for the win. J.R. Todd's MOV: 0.0274 seconds (approximately 13 feet).

Tasca with a great pass in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Tim Wilkerson                         333 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.099  4.054 307.02     ****WINNER****  0.085  4.039 310.27
 Qualified:            #12  4.029 310.05                        #5  3.964 316.45
Shawn Langdon is 15 - 16 in round 1 in his Funny Car career.

This is the 848th round for Tim Wilkerson and that is the 17th most among all pro drivers in NHRA history. He is 15 - 14 all time in round 1 when starting from the No. 12 spot.

Wilkerson is 4 - 0 against Langdon in prior events.

Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Shawn Langdon's MOV: 0.0293 seconds (approximately 13 feet). He will have lane choice over Todd in the next round.

Wilkerson won Best Appearing Car Award this weekend with his new Ford and made a great pass in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Jack Beckman                         2814 Matt Hagan                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.093  4.649 251.44                     0.072  5.115 225.41
 Qualified:            #10  4.005 320.28                        #7  3.991 321.27
Hagan is 22 - 21 against Beckman in prior events.

Hagan with the starting line advantage, Beckman has the lead by 150 feet. They both start to smoke the tires around 800 feet and they both have them sideways as they pedal it.

Beckman gets it to hook up quicker and gets the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  256 Blake Alexander                       801 Jonnie Lindberg              
E1                   0.106 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.084  4.088 314.39
 Qualified:             #9  4.003 315.27                        #8  4.001 322.04
This is the first time Alexander and Lindberg have faced each other in eliminations.

Lindberg with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will give up lane choice to Force in the next round.

Alexander starts to lose traction and drop cylinders and the car gets sideways and collects the top end blocks. This run is DQ'ed and will cost him five points.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink




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