Sun, 11 Nov 2012, 15:27 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 48th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Tim Wilkerson                         388 Jim Head                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  5.795 263.56                     0.081 No Time      
 Qualified:            #12  4.075 306.74                        #5  4.033 312.50

11:45 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 63 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 1,460 feet, track temperature 85 degrees.

Head has a five win, two loss history with Wilkerson. He leads in first round wins, three to two.

Pedal fest!!! They leave within 0.005 of each other and go up in smoke right after the sixty foot lights. The keep slapping the pedals and Head's car continues to drift towards the wall and finally bangs it near the 1000 foot lights.

Wilkerson was already ahead and takes the six foot win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Matt Hagan                            746 Courtney Force               
E1                   0.072  4.081 304.87     ****WINNER****  0.085  4.055 318.02
 Qualified:            #13  4.100 308.50                        #4  4.032 315.93

11:51 a.m. Force and Hagan are tied in overall meetings, but Hagan has a two to nothing first round advantage.

We get a great side by side race this time. Hagan gets away first and is quickly passed by Force. He runs right with her and starts to reel the Mustang in, but runs out of race track.

Force will have lane choice over Wilkerson in round two.

Courtney Force's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.004), 330 ft(-0.013), 660ft(-0.008). MOV: 0.0136 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.326, 660ft-3.287/266.16 mph.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.326, 660ft-3.282/269.89 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   72 Tony Pedregon                          28 Ron Capps                    
E1                   0.069  4.150 278.92     ****WINNER****  0.083  4.092 311.13
 Qualified:            #16  4.112 300.93                        #1  4.007 319.29

It's do or die for Capps in the Championship hunt. Pedregon has a 27 to 23 win advantage and they are even in first round wins against each other.

Pedregon gets a small starting line advantage and stays out in front until after the 660, where the NAPA Charger finally drives on by.

That keeps Capps in the Championship hunt and eliminates Neff.

Ron Capps' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.002), 330 ft(-0.021), 660ft(-0.017). MOV: 0.0441 seconds (approximately 18 feet).

Tony Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.913 sec., 330ft-2.327, 660ft-3.304/259.26 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.334, 660ft-3.307/266.90 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  728 Grant Downing                           3 Cruz Pedregon                
E1                   0.055 19.523 129.39     ****WINNER****  0.091  4.191 231.24
 Qualified:            #15  4.108 308.35                        #2  4.008 319.60

This is the first time that Pedregon and Downing have met in eliminations.

Downing is off the power right off the line and Pedregon powers on down the track for the not so easy win.

He has a huge lead and right after the 660 lights the engine goes bang and the blower and injectors are bouncing around on the top of the engine. Lucky break.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jack Beckman                          771 Alexis DeJoria               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.105  4.038 317.19                     0.089  6.564  98.95
 Qualified:             #3  4.025 319.75                       #14  4.105 310.91

Beckman has a six to one win advantage over DeJoria and has won all four of their first round matchups. With Capps already getting his win, Beckman has to win this round to stay in front in the Championship.

It's take no prisoners, as DeJoria gets a small starting line advantage. Beckman is out in front before sixty feet and gets the easy win, when DeJoria's tires up in smoke right after that.

Big power and low ET of the round so far.

Jack Beckman's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.011), 330 ft(0.226), 660ft(1.091). MOV: 2.5106 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.301, 660ft-3.264/268.12 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Jeff Arend                              9 John Force                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  4.082 312.06                     0.067  7.618  59.89
 Qualified:             #6  4.036 312.93                       #11  4.075 315.71

Force has a 13 to 4 win record over Arend. First round wins are 8 to 2.

Force scores a big advantage off the starting line and then strikes the tires. Arend gets on by after the sixty foot lights and takes the easy win. He will give up lane choice to Beckman next round.

Force's loss lets Wilkerson move around him into the #8 spot in the Championship.

Jeff Arend's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.023), 330 ft(0.191), 660ft(1.165). MOV: 3.5116 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.320, 660ft-3.296/264.91 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Mike Neff                             116 Paul Lee                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.120  4.227 268.06                     0.076  4.750 171.23
 Qualified:            #10  4.062 313.66                        #7  4.037 309.63

Neff and Lee have beaten each other once in round one action.

Neff is late and Lee leads until right after the 330 lights, where the tires start to smoke. He pedals to no avail.

Neff strikes the tire shortly after that and has the momentum to stay out in front for the win. Pedregon will have lane choice in round two.

Mike Neff's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.043), 330 ft(-0.056), 660ft(0.098). MOV: 0.4799 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Robert Hight                           31 Johnny Gray                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.529 263.92                     0.068  4.640 210.70
 Qualified:             #9  4.053 313.07                        #8  4.046 311.20

Gray has a three to one advantage in first round match ups against Hight, but Height has a seven to four overall win count.

Gray has the advantage off the line and loses the bite right at the 330 lights. Hight's tires give up next and the two cars both drive towards the center line snaking down the track. Looks like Gray loses the engine too, as the trucks are rolling past the finish line.

Robert Hight's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.011), 330 ft(0.000), 660ft(-0.024). MOV: 0.0848 seconds (approximately 26 feet).

12:18 p.m. In round two Capps will have lane choice over Hight next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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