Sun, 23 Jul 2006, 03:27 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Michael L. Jex

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals presented by Lucas Oil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  756 Don Hudson                             73 Doug Gordon
E2   ****WINNER****  0.055  5.771 249.86                     0.047  5.804 242.93
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Kraus     ) 0.049  5.762 245.09      (J Evanchuk  ) 0.071  5.730 249.76
 Qualified:             #3  5.697 253.23                        #6  5.745 248.16

Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 61 percent, barometer 29.23 inches, adjusted altitude 2,710 feet, track temperature 128 degrees.

Gordon won this race in 2001, Hudson has Randy Anderson here helping tune his Camaro this weekend.

Gordon had to drive thru more tire shake than Hudson, The Red Line Oil machine was on a string from start to stripe.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Steve Gasparrelli                     660 Jim Peters
E2   ****WINNER****  0.076  5.733 253.47                     0.109  6.096 236.09
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Patton    ) 0.160  5.690 252.80      (D Taylor    ) 0.115  6.284 233.03
 Qualified:             #4  5.719 253.18                       #12  5.879 239.61

Jim Peters owns a large Christmas tree farm, his Beretta was once campaigned in Fuel Funny Car by the Mongoose.

This time Peters didn't get a lucky break, just a ton of Gasparrelli horsepower. Steve Gasparrelli's MOV: 0.3965 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Bucky Austin                           62 Brian Hough
E2                   0.083  5.702 254.33     ****WINNER****  0.015  5.740 250.00
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Parker    ) 0.120  5.681 253.71      (H Coolidge  ) 0.109  5.716 252.00
 Qualified:             #2  5.687 253.75                        #7  5.761 251.39

The last time these two squared off at Seattle, they had a one minute forty five second burndown on the starting line. This time there were no such action - just a good old fashioned drag race, Hough's monster holeshot was enough to win on a holeshot by half a car length.

Hough will race Hudson in the semis, and Hough will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Jay Payne                              64 Clint Thompson
E2   ****WINNER****  0.091  5.662 258.96                     0.068  5.717 251.25
 Prior rounds:
E1    (N Sitko     ) 0.142  5.642 258.67      (J Weaver    ) 0.082  5.745 248.39
 Qualified:             #1  5.666 258.86                        #9  5.821 246.21

Thompson is the defending event champion - but Payne is the only one able to show a 5.60's tuneup this weekend. Jay Payne's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.055), 330 ft(-0.041), 660ft(-0.019), 1,000ft(0.007). MOV: 0.0327 seconds (approximately 12 feet). Payne will have lane choice against Gasparrelli in round three. 12:23 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink