Sun, 6 Nov 2005, 07:01 PM Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 eliminations in 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
    8 Tony Pedregon                           9 Cruz Pedregon                
E3   ****WINNER****  0.074  4.739 324.83                     0.087  4.872 323.04
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Force     ) 0.053  4.778 316.75      (R Capps     ) 0.083  4.756 329.26
E1    (F Pedregon  ) 0.076  4.750 320.43      (J Head      ) 0.079  4.775 325.37
 Qualified:             #3  4.710 329.99                        #2  4.708 328.86

3:45 p.m. Cruz Pedregon gets about 200 feet out and has to pedal. That's all Tony needed, he pulls away and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  503 Tommy Johnson Jr.                       5 Eric Medlen                  
E3                   0.047  4.771 326.24     ****WINNER****  0.069  4.740 321.65
 Prior rounds:
E2    (G Scelzi    ) 0.065  4.794 327.11      (R Hight     ) 0.115  4.745 324.44
E1    (G Densham   ) 0.174  4.761 325.37      (T Bartone   ) 0.086  4.748 328.14
 Qualified:             #9  4.751 329.26                        #4  4.715 328.06

Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.26 inches, adjusted altitude 1,867 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Johnson gets the hole-shot, then Medlen starts to make up ground quickly. They are dead even at half-track, then Medlen drives around. Medlen starts mixing up cylinders just before he crosses the centerline, then the engine explodes in a big ball of flame. He tries to slow the car, but the chutes don't deploy until just before he goes into the sand.

Tony Pedregon will have lane choice over Medlen in the final round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink