Sun, 2 Oct 2005, 01:09 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fifth annual Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Del Worsham                             7 Tim Wilkerson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  4.830 322.34                     0.090 12.475  87.86
 Qualified:             #6  4.723 326.87                       #11  4.768 323.97

Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 66 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 1,072 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

Wilkerson is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Worsham was right down the groove for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  503 Tommy Johnson Jr.                      73 Frank Pedregon               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.079  5.067 238.30                    -0.061 11.150  80.48
 Qualified:             #4  4.698 331.45                       #13  4.779 318.77

Pedregon turned on the red light. Johnson Jr. was spinning the tires on the top end and got out of the groove and real close to the wall before he clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Tony Pedregon                         427 Tony Bartone                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.106  4.809 322.50                     0.001  7.210 117.92
 Qualified:             #2  4.680 320.36                       #15  4.792 317.42

Bartone with a great light and then pulls the front end and when it comes back to earth it unloads the rear tires and he clicks it off. Pedregon with a real nice pass to start the day. Pedregon with the quickest pass of the session, so far.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Cruz Pedregon                           4 Gary Densham                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  4.832 310.05                     0.122  4.855 319.22
 Qualified:             #1  4.680 330.80                       #16  4.842 319.98

Pedregon started getting out of the groove around half track and then just kept drifting closer and closer to the wall, but holds on for the win. Densham with a good looking pass. The trucks are rolling as apparently Cruz put some oil down. That will cost him $1500 and 10 points, plus lane choice in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Gary Scelzi                           180 Mike Ashley                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.105  4.773 325.06                     0.139  4.820 325.45
 Qualified:             #3  4.697 331.28                       #14  4.787 324.98

Scelzi with a great looking pass to move into round two with the quickest pass of the session. Scelzi will have lane choice over Worsham in the next round. Ashley with a good pass and another career best weekend, and this pass was a career best mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                             10 Phil Burkart                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.079  4.800 317.42                     0.053 10.758  84.28
 Qualified:             #5  4.702 328.46                       #12  4.773 319.60

Burkart is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Force was straight down the groove to move into the next round. apparently Force's engine was eating itself up on the top end and there is oil in his lane. That will cost Force $1500 and 10 points and lane choice against Johnson Jr.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                            7000 Robert Hight                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.076  4.751 328.54                     0.052  4.778 327.27
 Qualified:             #8  4.732 329.02                        #9  4.737 325.69

Hight is out of the gate first and has the lead until 1000 feet and that was where Capps was able to catch him and drive by for the win. Ron Capps' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.012), 330 ft(0.003), 660ft(-0.001), 1,000ft(0.000). MOV: 0.0037 seconds (approximately 21 inches). Capps with the quickest pass of the session and will have lane choice over Cruz Pedregon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Whit Bazemore                           5 Eric Medlen                  
E1                   0.085  4.962 261.32     ****WINNER****  0.110  4.811 323.81
 Qualified:             #7  4.730 329.34                       #10  4.742 320.89

Bazemore with a big starting line advantage and the lead until just past half track. That is when the engine started eating it self up and finally let go with a fireball. Medlen will take the win light, but will give up lane choice to Tony Pedregon in the next round. This was a freebie for Bazemore.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink