Sun, 6 Nov 2005, 06:23 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 41st annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1224 David Ray                               2 Jay Payne                    
E3   ****WINNER****  0.040  5.665 254.71                     0.056  5.651 257.14
 Prior rounds:
E2    (L Miner     ) 0.002  5.667 255.24      (J Patton    ) 0.074  5.693 242.50
E1    (B Harrington) 0.075  5.683 255.43      (C Thompson  ) 0.041  5.690 253.75
 Qualified:             #7  5.667 257.09                        #3  5.638 256.11

3:13 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 29.26 inches, adjusted altitude 1,925 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Ray edged out Payne on a holeshot. David Ray's incremental margins: 60ft(0.028), 330 ft(0.023), 660ft(0.016), 1,000ft(0.010). MOV: 0.0021 seconds (approximately 10 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  727 Ron August Jr                          43 Steve Gasparrelli            
E3                   0.058  5.675 254.57     ****WINNER****  0.075  5.636 258.17
 Prior rounds:
E2    (B Austin    ) 0.027  5.678 249.76      (D Taylor    ) 0.066  5.598 260.41
E1    (J Weaver    ) 0.001  5.723 253.18      (B Hough     ) 0.025  5.638 259.01
 Qualified:             #8  5.668 256.45                       #13  5.708 257.24

August also tried to pull off a holeshot win, but gasparrelli had the power to run him down in the first 300 feet, then pull away. Steve Gasparrelli's MOV: 0.0227 seconds (approximately 8 feet). He will have lane choice against Ray in the final round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink