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MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil: Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 241 John Smith 77 Bob Tasca III E1 ****WINNER**** 0.094 4.280 245.05 0.092 6.422 144.74 Qualified: #15 4.197 298.80 #2 3.866 332.6711:39 a.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 51 percent, barometer 29.60 inches, adjusted altitude 2,411 feet, track temperature 84 degrees. Bob Tasca won here at Maple Grove in 2009. This is the 121st race for John
Smith and his 14th in the Funny Car class. This is the first time Smith and Tasca III have faced each other in eliminations. Smith's
crew went wild at the starting line after Smith took his car down the groove for the win. In the other lane, Tasca's car shook the
rear tires hard as soon as it launched. He tried to pedal it but just spun and smoked the tires for a few hundred feet before he
clicked it off.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
5 Tim Wilkerson 121 Terry Haddock
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.100 3.926 320.36 0.181 10.025 83.22
Qualified: #4 3.879 324.90 #13 4.094 303.37
Tim Wilkerson won this race in 2003 and was runner-up last year. Wilkerson is 2 - 0 against Haddock in prior events.
Wilkerson was lined up to run in the right lane but after he saw Tasca shake the rear tires right off the starting line, he decided
to make the switch to the left lane. Haddock's car shook the rear tires hard right out of the gate and he clicked it off right away.
Wilkerson went straight down the groove to take the win.Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 28 Ron Capps 324 Mike McIntire E1 ****WINNER**** 0.116 3.909 327.51 0.098 5.898 119.98 Qualified: #1 3.837 339.28 #16 4.708 176.21Ron Capps won this event in 2017. Mike McIntire qualified for his first Funny Car race. He is the 386th different driver to make a Funny Car field. He is also the 87th driver to face Ron Capps in eliminations. The #1 FC qualifier is 30 - 4 in round 1 in Reading. This is the first time Capps and McIntire have faced each other in eliminations.
McIntire launched, got out a couple hundred feet and lost the blower belt. Capps made a good run down the left lane to take the
win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
7 Jack Beckman 703 Jim Campbell
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.107 3.908 331.45 0.110 4.204 249.21
Qualified: #3 3.876 331.77 #14 4.103 314.83
Beckman is 5 - 1 against Campbell in prior events. Jack Beckman has a pair of wins here. Jim Campbell is making his 70th
start.
This was a close drag race. Beckman led from start to finish but Campbell held close until about 800 feet when his car started
trailing smoke and slowed. Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 71 Cruz Pedregon 9 John Force E1 0.070 4.752 172.94 ****WINNER**** 0.061 3.938 326.40 Qualified: #12 3.979 328.22 #5 3.889 334.40Force is 72 - 36 against Pedregon in prior events. John Force competed at the first national event here in 1985. Since then, he has seven wins and seven runner-up finishes here. Force is 22 -12 in round 1 eliminations here. This is the 109th meeting between Force and Cruz Pedregon. That's the most head-to-head meetings between any two drivers in history.
Force was first off the starting line and extended his lead as they moved down the track. About halfway down, Pedregon's car moved
out of the groove and he slowed to get it straightened out. By then, Force had the win. Force will race Wilkerson in the next round
and Wilkerson has lane choice.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 Robert Hight 801 Jonnie Lindberg
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.059 3.919 331.04 0.092 5.774 127.88
Qualified: #6 3.895 330.07 #11 3.937 318.09
Hight and Lindberg have each won 2 times against the other in prior events. Robert Hight's one win here came in 2011.
Hight was quicker off the starting line and had a good run to take the win. Lindberg shook the tires and slowed. Hight will race
Beckman in round two and Beckman will have lane choice.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Tommy Johnson Jr. 1 J.R. Todd
E1 0.076 3.977 327.66 ****WINNER**** 0.077 3.915 329.58
Qualified: #7 3.905 326.95 #10 3.916 314.17
Johnson Jr. and Todd have each won 5 times against the other in prior events. J.R. Todd won this race in Top Fuel in 2006 and in
Funny Car last year.
Johnson was just a bit quicker off the starting line but Todd got by him right away to take the win. Todd will have lane choice over
John Smith in round two. Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 333 Shawn Langdon 2814 Matt Hagan E1 0.052 3.961 329.91 ****WINNER**** 0.072 3.899 332.02 Qualified: #8 3.910 328.86 #9 3.913 333.66Hagan is 6 - 1 against Langdon in prior events. Shawn Langdon won here in Top Fuel in 2013. Matt Hagan won here in 2014.
Langdon was first out of the gate and was ahead at 60 feet but Hagan got by him right away and went on to have the lowest ET of the
round and take the win. He'll have lane choice over Capps in round two.
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