Sun, 4 Sep 2005, 01:59 PM Skoal Funny Car Showdown Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Skoal Funny Car Showdown at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 24th annual Skoal Showdown:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Del Worsham                             8 Tony Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.113  4.875 314.31                     0.076  5.227 219.12
 Qualified:             #4 5,000                                #5 4,000        

12:30 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.74 inches, adjusted altitude 1,752 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Worsham trailed to half track, then Tony's car moved out of the groove, near the wall, and fishtailed a few times. Bad luck for the Pedregon team after working hard to get the backup car ready, good luck for Worsham. Del Worsham's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.053), 330 ft(-0.066), 660ft(-0.047), 1,000ft(0.073). MOV: 0.3151 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Eric Medlen                           503 Tommy Johnson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.112  4.897 314.83                     0.069  4.984 317.64
 Qualified:             #3 6,000                                #6 3,000        

TJ didn't have enough under the hood today to hold off Medlen's charge, losing the lead in the first 300 feet. He ran with him on the top end, but could not close the gap. Eric Medlen's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.054), 330 ft(0.021), 660ft(0.048), 1,000ft(0.050). MOV: 0.0448 seconds (approximately 21 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                           7000 Robert Hight                 
E1                   0.087  4.911 323.35     ****WINNER****  0.093  4.823 323.81
 Qualified:             #1 8,000                                #8 1,000        

Hight led all the way, making up Force's small starting line advantage in the first 60 feet and then pulling away when Force's car started mixing up the cylinders on the top end, trailing lots of smoke for the final 400 feet. Robert Hight's MOV: 0.0825 seconds (approximately 39 feet). Hight will have lane choice against Worsham in the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Gary Scelzi                             9 Cruz Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  4.943 309.20                     0.097  5.035 254.14
 Qualified:             #2 7,000                                #7 2,000        

Scelzi had the better light, but Cruz led to half track, then started dropping cylinders and falling back rapidly. Scelzi advances to the semifinals without lane choice against Medlen.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink