Sun, 16 Jul 2006, 02:57 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Bob Orme

MORRISON, Colo. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 27th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Whit Bazemore                           3 John Force                   
E1                   0.081  5.484 243.72     ****WINNER****  0.071  5.163 293.92
 Qualified:             #7  4.952 302.35                       #10  4.984 314.31

12:28 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 93 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 24.87 inches,adjusted altitude 7,939 feet, track temperature 133 degrees.

John Force has a 44-10 overall record against Whit Bazemore. Force has beaten Bazemore three of the four times they've faced each other this season, two times in the last two races.

Bazemore started smoking the tires at half track, and that was enough for Force to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             206 Bob Gilbertson               
E1                   0.099  6.085 230.65     ****WINNER****  0.114  5.878 234.09
 Qualified:             #5  4.941 307.37                       #12  5.107 298.14

Ron Capps has a 14-3 overall record against Bob Gilbertson in eliminations. He was runner up at this event in 1998. Gilbertson was runner up at this event in 2001.

Capps struck the tires at about 300 feet. He pedaled it a couple times and his car was all over his lane from just before half track through the finish.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  503 Tommy Johnson Jr.                     180 Mike Ashley                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.127  5.154 299.06                    -0.059  5.260 289.63
 Qualified:             #3  4.907 307.37                       #14  5.138 299.80

Tommy Johnson was runner up here in 1991 in Top Fuel. Mike Ashley is the 63rd different opponent for Johnson. This is Ashley's 12th Pro start, his first for Don Schumacher Racing.

A very good looking drag race, but it was over at the tree when Ashley lit the red bulb.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  782 Gary Densham                           10 Cruz Pedregon                
E1                   0.127  5.344 276.18     ****WINNER****  0.083  5.311 292.77
 Qualified:             #1  4.893 292.20                       #16  5.177 286.32

This is Gary Densham's 9th start from the number one position, his first since Houston in 2004. This is Cruz Pedregon's 251st start, his 7th start from the number 16 spot and he's never won from the 16th spot. He has an 18-8 overall record vs Densham in eliminations.

Densham had a cylinder out on the hit, then he hazed the tires just before half track. Cruz Pedregon's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.016), 330 ft(0.001), 660ft(-0.008), 1,000ft(0.034). MOV: 0.0774 seconds (approximately 31 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Gary Scelzi                           319 Scott Kalitta                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.108  5.092 298.21                     0.113  8.114 105.61
 Qualified:             #2  4.896 310.20                       #15  5.172 254.66

Gary Scelzi has never been to a final round at Bandimere, one of only three tracks he hasn't played in the money round. This is his 500th round of competition, with a 335-164 W/L record coming into today's competition. Scott Kalitta won this event in 1994, 1995 and 2004 in Top Fuel. Connie Kalitta won this event in 1984 and 1985.

Kalitta lost traction at about 300 feet. Scelzi was to the right of the groove on the top half of the track, but he stayed on the throttle all the way down. He will have lane choice over Force in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Robert Hight                          427 Tony Bartone                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.121  5.148 301.07                     0.092  5.208 294.24
 Qualified:             #4  4.916 301.87                       #13  5.118 293.15

This is Robert Hight's 33rd consecutive start. He is 3-2 against Tony Bartone, and he is the defending event champion. Bartone has been in the final round in TAFC at Bandimere 7 times, and he won this race in 1992 and 1995 in the alcohol car.

Both drivers were moving around quite a bit. Hight will have lane choice over Gilbertson in round two. Robert Hight's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.011), 330 ft(0.009), 660ft(0.015), 1,000ft(0.020). MOV: 0.0315 seconds (approximately 14 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  156 Phil Burkart                            4 Eric Medlen                  
E1                   0.083  6.830 139.63     ****WINNER****  0.117  5.234 303.30
 Qualified:             #6  4.952 313.37                       #11  5.019 309.42

Phil Burkart's last win was here in 2004, and this was the site of his last final round appearence, in 2005. Eric Medlen has a 5-2 overall record against Burkart in eliminations.

Burkart struck the tires at about 300 feet. He was all over his lane from just before half track through the finish. Medlen will give lane choice to Johnson in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tony Pedregon                           8 Del Worsham                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.076  5.268 292.77                     0.134  5.276 273.33
 Qualified:             #8  4.956 308.28                        #9  4.983 317.64

This is Tony Pedregon's 251st start. He has a 26-15 overall record against Del Worsham in eliminations. This is Worsham's 29th start from the number 9 position.

A good looking drag race. Worsham had a bit of tire haze at half track and Pedregon was mixing up the cylinders at the finish. Tony will get lane choice from his brother Cruz in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink