Sun, 20 Oct 2019, 12:57 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, 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                               7 Jack Beckman                 
E1                   0.073  3.955 326.79     ****WINNER****  0.062  3.896 328.86
 Qualified:             #5  3.881 332.43                       #12  3.937 327.11

11:24 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 61 percent, barometer 29.23 inches, adjusted altitude 2,751 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.

Jack Beckman's 3 round wins in Charlotte gave him 434 for his career and moved him into 23rd place on the all-time list.

Capps is 38 - 20 against Beckman in prior events.

Both of these drivers are in contention for the championship. Beckman is number two and is 50 points behind. Capps is fourth and is 95 points back.

Beckman gets out of the gate first but Beckman reels him in and goes around him before they reach the sixty foot mark. Beckman goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend, Capps ties his quickest pass of the weekend. Beckman pulls away and takes the win.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.240, 660ft-3.157/283.01 mph.

Jack Beckman's incremental margins: 60ft(0.021), 330 ft(0.043), 660ft(0.061). MOV: 0.0708 seconds (approximately 34 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                          703 Jim Campbell                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.079  3.908 327.03                     0.092  4.375 219.54
 Qualified:             #2  3.851 335.07                       #15  4.079 313.58

Robert Hight won here four times including the last two years. His 4 round wins in Charlotte gave him 500 for his career and he is just the 6th FC driver ever to reach that milestone.

Hight is 5 - 1 against Campbell in prior events.

Hight gets the holeshot and starts to pull away. Campbell drifts out of the groove early, starts getting close to the centerline, then backs off the throttle about 500 feet out. Hight goes on through with a good pass to take the win.

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.244, 660ft-3.164/281.54 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 John Force                            170 Jeff Arend                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.079  3.926 328.14                     0.095  7.353  96.26
 Qualified:             #1  3.834 337.33                       #16  4.112 297.94

The top qualifier in Funny Car is 29 - 3 in round 1 in Dallas. The last time the #1 qualifier lost in the first round here was 1995.

John Force's 6 wins here are the most for any Funny Car driver. His last won came here in 2005.

Force is 17 - 5 against Arend in prior events.

Force gets out of the gate first and starts pulling away. Arend gets about 100 feet out, loses traction and has to give up on the run. Force goes right down the groove with a clean pass to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 J.R. Todd                              71 Cruz Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.093  3.911 327.19                     0.054  4.342 209.20
 Qualified:             #3  3.866 334.40                       #14  4.000 323.74

Cruz Pedregon has 4 wins in Dallas and that's the most for him at any event on the tour.

Todd is 5 - 0 against Pedregon in prior events.

Pedregon has been struggling this weekend. He was down to his last qualifying pass before he got in the show.

Pedregon gets the holeshot, gets about 400 feet and blows the engine. Todd gets even with Pedregon at the sixty foot mark, then quickly pulls away when Pedregon loses power. Todd goes on through with a good pass to take the win.

Pedregon is charged with an oildown, his first of the year.

J.R. Todd's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.001), 330 ft(0.017), 660ft(0.092). MOV: 0.3921 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Bob Tasca III                         801 Jonnie Lindberg              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.124  3.873 327.19                     0.092 15.205  57.93
 Qualified:             #4  3.880 329.02                       #13  3.961 322.88

Bob Tasca won here in 2012.

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

Lindberg leaves the line first but loses traction and has to click it off. Tasca goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and the quickest of the round so far to take the win.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.219, 660ft-3.133/283.25 mph.

Tasca will have lane choice over Beckman in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                            256 Blake Alexander              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  3.903 329.58                     0.084  4.007 280.19
 Qualified:             #6  3.890 310.77                       #11  3.925 327.11

Matt Hagan won here in 2010 & 2016.

Hagan is 4 - 1 against Alexander in prior events.

Hagan gets out of the gate first and starts pulling away. Alexander was hanging with him for about 700 feet, then he hazes the tires and slows. Hagan goes on through with a good pass to take the stripe for the win.

Matt Hagan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.021), 330 ft(0.027), 660ft(0.044). MOV: 0.1101 seconds (approximately 45 feet).

Hagan will have lane choice over Todd in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Tim Wilkerson                         333 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.085  3.908 323.97     ****WINNER****  0.059  3.925 325.85
 Qualified:             #7  3.895 315.05                       #10  3.921 326.08

Tim Wilkerson won this race in 2008.

Wilkerson is 5 - 3 against Langdon in prior events.

Langdon gets the holeshot but Wilkerson starts reeling him in quickly. Wilkerson continues to gain ground at every marker but langdon is able to hold him off and take the holeshot win.

Shawn Langdon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.026), 330 ft(0.025), 660ft(0.012). MOV: 0.0091 seconds (approximately 4 feet).

Hight will have lane choice over Langdon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  116 Paul Lee                                3 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E1                   0.073  3.957 323.97     ****WINNER****  0.080  3.932 324.05
 Qualified:             #8  3.912 316.08                        #9  3.920 324.44

Johnson Jr. is 2 - 0 against Lee in prior events.

Lee gets a little holeshot and extends his lead to the sixty foot mark. Johnson starts gaining ground after that, goes around Lee at the sixty foot mark, then he pulls away for the win.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.032), 330 ft(-0.022), 660ft(0.008). MOV: 0.0181 seconds (approximately 9 feet).

Force will have lane choice over Johnson in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Jun 30- Lucas Oil to Sponsor Summernationals at Indianapolis
Jun 25- Tickets on Sale for 2020 Southern Nationals
Jun 25- Houston Raceway Park to Transform into Drive-In Theater for First NHRA Race Since Lockdown
Jun 25- NHRA Northwest Nationals Canceled Due to State and County Restrictions
Jun 25- Toyota to Serve as Associate Sponsor of Tony Schumacher in Indianapolis
Jun 25- Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum to Reopen July 1
Jun 24- E3 Spark Plugs Named Title Sponsor of July 11-12 NHRA Indianapolis Event
Jun 24- Cory McClenathan to Return for NHRA Indy Double-Header with DSR
Jun 22- AAA Texas Fall Nationals Expects Championship Field In October
Jun 22- Crew Chief Doug Kuch Returning to Foley Lewis Racing