Sun, 28 Sep 2014, 13:21 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

MADISON, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Third annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Matt Hagan                            771 Alexis DeJoria               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.057  4.158 299.06                     0.092  4.170 285.65
 Qualified:             #7  4.071 315.49                       #10  4.108 298.93

11:53 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 88 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 29.69 inches, adjusted altitude 2,881 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

DeJoria is 4 - 3 against Hagan in prior events.

Hagan is third in the points, DeJoria is in sixth.

Hagan gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. DeJoria starts making up ground after the 330 foot mark but hazes the tires a little before the finish line stripe.

Matt Hagan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.057), 330 ft(0.059), 660ft(0.050). MOV: 0.0472 seconds (approximately 20 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Courtney Force                         77 Bob Tasca III                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.090  4.101 314.31                     0.062  8.380  85.49
 Qualified:             #4  4.047 317.87                       #13  4.157 307.23

Force is 10 - 2 against Tasca III in prior events.

Force is fourth in the points, Tasca is not in the countdown.

Tasca hits the throttle, gets about 100 feet out and goes up in smoke. He gets about 50 feet further and gives up on the run. Force went right down the groove with a good run for the conditions and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                            556 Brian Stewart                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  4.103 312.35                     0.105  4.193 303.98
 Qualified:             #1  4.022 319.52                       #16  4.181 300.06

Brian Stewart has qualified for his first NHRA race in the Funny Car class. He raced Pro Stock in the 1980's, in fact, his last round of racing was a loss to Bob Glidden at the 1982 World Finals. He will be the 136th different driver that John Force has faced in eliminations.

Force gets a small advantage off the line and starts extending his lead quickly. Stewart makes a decent pass, navigating the tricky right line without smoking the tires, but Force was pulling away all the way through the run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Cruz Pedregon                         170 Jeff Arend                   
E1                   0.098  4.562 187.31     ****WINNER****  0.081  4.500 231.79
 Qualified:             #2  4.022 314.02                       #15  4.169 304.67

This (#2) is Cruz Pedregon's best start since the Sonoma race. He has lost in the first round at the last four races.

Pedregon is 13 - 9 against Arend in prior events.

Arend leaves first but pedregon pulled even with him before they reached the sixty foot mark. Arend continues to fall behind, gets about 500 feet out and strikes the tires. Pedregon loses traction soon after and has to pedal. Arend pedals once, gets the slicks to bite and goes around Pedregon and pulls away for the win.

Jeff Arend's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.003), 330 ft(-0.026), 660ft(-0.071). MOV: 0.0795 seconds (approximately 22 feet).

Hagan will have lane choice over Arend in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Robert Hight                         3111 Chad Head                    
E1                   0.093  4.097 311.49     ****WINNER****  0.057  4.121 305.98
 Qualified:             #3  4.040 316.15                       #14  4.168 292.27

Hight is 4 - 1 against Head in prior events.

Head gets out of the gate first but Hight starts making up ground. Head is able to avoid hazing the tires and makes his quickest pass of the weekend. Hight continues to gain ground but quickly runs out of race track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  750 Del Worsham                           719 Jeff Diehl                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.116  4.123 305.29                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #5  4.049 314.75                       #12  4.136 299.73

Worsham is 2 - 0 against Diehl in prior events.

Diehl hits the throttle to do his burnout and the engine goes silent giving Worsham a free run. Worsham goes right down the groove with a clean pass to take the win.

Worsham will gie up lane choice to Courtney Force in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   33 Tommy Johnson Jr.                      10 Tim Wilkerson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.083  4.128 307.51                     0.093  4.146 310.27
 Qualified:             #6  4.053 315.78                       #11  4.117 289.82

Johnson Jr. is 14 - 5 against Wilkerson in prior events.

Johnson gets the advantage off the line and starts pulling away. Wilkerson keeps it close, starts making up ground late in the run but could not make up the difference.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental margins: 60ft(0.030), 330 ft(0.029), 660ft(0.033). MOV: 0.0282 seconds (approximately 13 feet).

Head will have lane choice over Johnson in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                               3 Jack Beckman                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.073  4.122 308.50                     0.079  4.153 306.19
 Qualified:             #8  4.071 313.00                        #9  4.078 311.49

Ron Capps is 9-3 against his Don Schumacher teammates this year and 3-1 against them in round one.

Capps is 22 - 12 against Beckman in prior events.

Not much difference between the two off the line, Capps pulls away early in the run and maintains his lead all the way through the finish line.

Ron Capps' incremental margins: 60ft(0.029), 330 ft(0.045), 660ft(0.036). MOV: 0.0378 seconds (approximately 17 feet).

John Force will have lane choice over Capps in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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