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Sun, 27 Sep 2015, 13:01 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, Fourth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             496 John Hale                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  4.002 320.74                     0.123  4.199 300.26
 Qualified:             #4  3.937 327.19                       #13  4.095 305.63
11:25 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 69 percent, barometer 29.62 inches, adjusted altitude 2,247 feet, track temperature 90 degrees.

Ron Capps has three wins here and that ties him with John Force for the most in the Funny Car class.

Capps is 2 - 0 against Hale in prior events.

Capps gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. Hale keeps him honest, going right down the groove with a clean pass, but Capps was increasing his lead all the way through the run.

Ron Capps' incremental margins: 60ft(0.077), 330 ft(0.140), 660ft(0.187). MOV: 0.2328 seconds (more than 100 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  711 Jack Beckman                          303 John Bojec                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.069  5.308 135.96                    -0.063  5.345 161.92
 Qualified:             #3  3.907 327.27                       #14  4.132 302.82
This is the first time Beckman and Bojec have faced each other in eliminations.

Beckman dodges a bullet on this one. Bojec leaves a little too soon and goes red. He gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Beckman hits the throttle, gets about 300 feet out, goes up in smoke and has to give up on the run.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  750 Del Worsham                            72 Tony Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  3.945 325.69                     0.059  4.884 184.19
 Qualified:             #2  3.899 327.82                       #15  4.149 293.98
Tony Pedregon won twice at this track, in 2001 & 2006.

Del Worsham won twice here, in 2003 & 2009. Worsham made the third quickest run ever and had a backup for the national record.

Pedregon is 39 - 25 against Worsham in prior events.

Pedregon gets out of the gate first but Worsham started reeling him in quickly. Pedregon gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. He pedals a couple of times, can't get the car to recover, then gives up on the run. Worsham 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 Matt Hagan                            556 Brian Stewart                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  3.955 325.22                     0.116  4.132 303.71
 Qualified:             #1  3.883 330.47                       #16  4.397 252.61
This is the 21st #1 qualifying spot for Matt Hagan. He has won four races when starting from the top of the field. Matt now has recorded the two quickest runs in FC history. He will need to run 3.922 or quicker to back up his run from last night to set the record.

This is the first time Hagan and Stewart have faced each other in eliminations.

Hagan gets off the line first and starts to pull away. Stewart makes a clean straight pass but was falling behind all the way through the run.

Matt Hagan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.096), 330 ft(0.147), 660ft(0.166). MOV: 0.2093 seconds (approximately 93 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tommy Johnson Jr.                     771 Alexis DeJoria               
E1                   0.059  4.332 211.49     ****WINNER****  0.064  3.966 292.77
 Qualified:             #5  3.941 318.54                       #12  4.073 305.91
Johnson gets off the line first but DeJoria starts to reel him in quickly. Johnson gets about 600 feet out, starts to haze the tires, then the car makes a hard move to the right and he has to back off the throttle. DeJoria goes on through with her quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

DeJoria will have lane choice over Capps in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                        3111 Chad Head                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  4.025 267.32                     0.100  6.863  90.67
 Qualified:             #6  3.942 321.12                       #11  4.046 313.15
Pedregon is 3 - 0 against Head in prior events.

Head leaves the line, starts to move around, then strikes the tires about 200 feet out and has to give up on the run. Pedregon was on a good pass but looked like he put a cylinder out about 800 feet out. He stays on the throttle, the engine starts eating itself and word comes from the track that their is oil in Pedregon's lane.

This is Pedregon's sixth oildown this year and it will cost him $3000.

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


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Courtney Force                          9 Tim Wilkerson                
E1                   0.071  5.263 187.23     ****WINNER****  0.078  3.983 323.12
 Qualified:             #7  3.953 325.30                       #10  3.998 318.02
Tim Wilkerson won here in 2008.

Courtney Force is the defending event champion.

Force is 8 - 2 against Wilkerson in prior events.

Force gets the advantage off the line, stays in front pas the sixty foot mark, then starts to haze the tires. She pedals, stays on the throttle for the rest of the run but can't get the slicks to bite. Wilkerson goes around her quickly and pulls away for the win with his quickest pass of the weekend.

Worsham will have lane choice over Wilkerson in the next round.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.041), 330 ft(0.173), 660ft(0.754). MOV: 1.2739 seconds (more than 100 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 John Force                              5 Robert Hight                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  4.670 172.85                     0.036  6.440 103.15
 Qualified:             #8  3.985 322.42                        #9  3.994 313.22
Robert Hight won the 2010 race here. .John Force won here in 1999, 2002 and 2013.

Force and Hight have each won 19 times against the other in prior events.

Hight gets out of the gate first, gets about 300 feet out, goes up in smoke and backs off the throttle. Force gets out of the groove, makes a move toward the centerline about 500 feet out and has to back off the throttle to stay in his lane. Force goes on through and takes the win.

John Force's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.043), 330 ft(0.187), 660ft(0.888). MOV: 1.7229 seconds (more than 100 feet).

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

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink




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