Sun, 30 Jul 2006, 04:03 PM
Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations
|
|
By Darryl Jackman
|
SONOMA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th
annual FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
28 Ron Capps 9 Whit Bazemore
E1 0.072 4.975 293.41 ****WINNER**** 0.068 4.902 315.78
Qualified: #6 4.821 320.81 #11 4.857 322.73
12:23 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent,
barometer 30.13 inches, adjusted altitude 1,364 feet, track temperature 115 degrees.
Capps was runner up at this event in 2005. Bazemore has gotten the best of Capps two out of the
last three times they've raced. Also, Bazemore won here in 1999. Uh oh. It appears Capps can
get by anyone but Whit. Even at the hit, the Matco Dodge pulled away: Bazemore's MOV: 0.0775
seconds (approximately 33 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
7 Tony Pedregon 503 Tommy Johnson Jr.
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.054 4.910 315.56 0.051 4.947 307.30
Qualified: #5 4.816 319.75 #12 4.857 314.31
Tony Pedregon was runner up here in 1997 and 2000 and this is the 22nd time in his long
career he's been the #5 qualifier. TJ opens the day with 197 round wins in his career. His best
season after striking out on his own as team owner and driver continues. Pedregon was second
off the line but caught TJ by 330 feet. The end result was a fifteen foot win for the Q-Power
Monte Carlo.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
8 Del Worsham 427 Tony Bartone
E1 0.121 4.996 318.09 ****WINNER**** 0.077 5.023 289.07
Qualified: #3 4.803 323.89 #14 4.879 301.60
This is Worsham's 298th start and he holds a 6-2 record over Bartone. This is Bartone's 8th
#14 position, the most common spot in his career. Oh man. Was Worsham late! Bartone puts over
.04 on Worsham and holds him off for the holeshot win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
5 Robert Hight 206 Bob Gilbertson
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.093 4.859 318.77 0.112 8.159 101.98
Qualified: #1 4.738 325.30 #16 4.968 306.60
This is the 12th time in Hight's career that he has started the day as the top qualifier.
On the other hand this is the 22nd time Gilbertson has been #16. He beat Hight at Denver this
year in the second round. Gilbertson fired then fell back. Hight goes on under power and runs
the low ET of the round so far.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
4 Eric Medlen 10 Cruz Pedregon
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.092 4.885 315.78 0.071 4.982 280.78
Qualified: #2 4.801 323.81 #15 4.952 290.19
Medlen is starting to put together a pretty good qualifying streak as he's now been in 61
straight shows. This is his 10th #2 start. Cruz has the car back together after yesterday's
fire and goes after another win at one of his favorite tracks. He was the winner here in 1996,
1998 and runner up in 1992. Cruz left first and was close but Medlen just had too much for
Pedregon. That they got that car back together and were here for the first round was a feat in
it's own right.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
319 Scott Kalitta 1 Gary Scelzi
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.101 5.055 301.60 0.090 5.497 205.01
Qualified: #4 4.806 319.14 #13 4.865 317.64
This is Kalitta's best start in 21 races in a Funny Car. Overall this is the 29th time
Scott has qualified #4. Scelzi is the defending champ at this event and holds a 4-1 record
against Kalitta in the Funnies. Scelzi was away first and was pulling away until he started
spinning the tires at about half track. Kalitta went around the Dodge for the win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
782 Gary Densham 3 John Force
E1 0.107 6.839 129.45 ****WINNER**** 0.089 4.812 318.32
Qualified: #7 4.825 319.14 #10 4.855 312.50
This is Densham's 300th start and the 19th time he's had to race Force in the first round.
The amazing part of this this is this: This was the first time he does it with lane choice!
Force is 29-7 against Densham. Nothing helps. Force never trailed and when Densham stuck the
tires the event was over for the Racebricks team. With Capps out Force stands to make up a
bunch of points today.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
156 Phil Burkart 180 Mike Ashley
E1 0.057 4.999 303.64 ****WINNER**** 0.115 4.884 313.73
Qualified: #8 4.833 313.51 #9 4.851 314.09
This is Burkart's 81st start and Ashley is the 25th different driver he's faced in those
events. This is Ashley's 14th start and he's trying to turn it into something special. Burkart
tattoos Ashley at the tree but he runs into tire slippage early on. Ashley drives around him
at about the 330 mark and pulls away. Next round looks like this: Hight with choice over
Ashley; Tony Pedregon with choice over Kalitta; Force with choice over Medlen and Bazemore
chooses the lane when he meets Bartone.
Timing data courtesy of
CompuLink
NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]
Oct 22- NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony Returns to Pechanga Resort Casino
Oct 22- NHRA Breakfast at 2026 SEMA Show Features Legends, Champs & A Rookie Talking Funny Car Showdown
Oct 22- DALLAS - Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Wrap Up
Oct 22- Five NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Drivers Currently Eligible for 2026 Rookie of the Year
Oct 22- Lucas Oil and NHRA Celebrate 25-Year Partnership with Multi-Year Extension
Oct 19- DALLAS - Sunday Video
Oct 18- DALLAS - Sunday Wrap Up
Oct 18- DALLAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Stock
Oct 18- DALLAS - Summary of Eliminations in Competition Eliminator
Oct 18- DALLAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Fuel
