Sun, 23 Jul 2006, 04:33 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Michael L. Jex

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 2 eliminations in 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
  782 Gary Densham                            4 Eric Medlen
E2                   0.141  5.031 300.60     ****WINNER****  0.139  4.997 304.87
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Pedregon  ) 0.094  5.019 307.16      (S Kalitta   ) 0.112  4.998 295.14
 Qualified:            #10  4.934 310.77                        #2  4.854 312.64

1:20 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 92 degrees, relative humidity 43 percent, barometer 29.06 inches, adjusted altitude 3,456 feet, track temperature 135 degrees.

The heat may be getting to the drivers, both were a little "off" on the starting line. Eric Medlen's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.009), 330 ft(0.003), 660ft(0.019), 1,000ft(0.026). MOV: 0.0365 seconds (approximately 16 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  427 Tony Bartone                            9 Whit Bazemore
E2                   0.121  5.908 161.19     ****WINNER****  0.089  5.033 306.60
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Ashley    ) 0.112  4.996 292.90      (P Burkart Jr) 0.072  4.994 310.20
 Qualified:            #13  4.970 306.74                       #12  4.953 309.13

Bartone got over near the wall, Whit drove past the hard charging Bartone at the halfway point. Whit Bazemore's MOV: 0.9079 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tony Pedregon                           5 Robert Hight
E2   ****WINNER****  0.065  5.318 274.89                     0.062  6.117 161.05
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Johnson Jr) 0.081  5.029 260.81      (T Wilkerson ) 0.109  4.902 314.68
 Qualified:             #8  4.929 310.27                        #1  4.840 318.17

The winner will race Whit Bazemore in the next round. Hight started hazing the tires then blew up the motor, Pedregon also started to haze the tires, but his motor lasted till the stripe. It was't pretty, and Pedregon will not have lane choice in the semis, but it's a big win for Pedregon and Quaker State!

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                               1 Gary Scelzi
E2   ****WINNER****  0.070  5.066 299.80                     0.078  5.573 227.92
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Worsham   ) 0.097  4.975 307.86      (J Force     ) 0.068  4.972 309.49
 Qualified:             #3  4.864 313.00                       #11  4.945 309.20

Scelzi and Capps left together, then the tire smoke started in the right lane. Capps will race Medlen in the semis, and Medlen will have lane choice. 1:28 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink