Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 04:41 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Sixth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tony Pedregon                         427 Tony Bartone                 
E2                   0.091  5.177 211.53     ****WINNER****  0.105  4.881 312.28
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Scelzi    ) 0.074  5.143 225.90      (R Hight     ) 0.173  5.406 198.82
 Qualified:             #8  4.742 303.71                       #16  4.848 315.71

1:21 p.m. Pedregon is 5-3 in career match-ups with Bartone.

Okazaki must be bringing Bartone a little luck today. Pedregon leaves the line first and starts pulling away. He continues to extend his lead, then hazes the tires about 900 feet out. Bartone drives around before they reach the 1000 foot mark and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  503 Tommy Johnson Jr.                       3 John Force                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.082  4.809 320.89                     0.069  8.238 105.65
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Burkart Jr) 0.083  4.813 323.66      (J Head      ) 0.047  4.832 322.81
 Qualified:             #7  4.739 323.97                        #2  4.711 329.34

Force holds a 22-7 advantage over Johnson in career match-ups. If he wins the race today he will have a 131 point advantage over Capps in the points chase....but it's not to be. Force gets off the line first, then goes up in smoke about 200 feet out, pedals a couple of times, then gives up on the run. Johnson goes right down the groove and moves on to the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Eric Medlen                           319 Scott Kalitta                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.111  4.799 321.96                     0.095  6.837 127.45
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Gilbertson) 0.101  4.763 321.27      (R Capps     ) 0.088  4.810 316.30
 Qualified:             #3  4.712 320.81                        #6  4.726 325.69

Medlen holds a 3-1 lead on Kalitta in career match-ups and is the last Force car left in competition. Kalitta gets the hole-shot but loses traction about 200 feet out. Medlen drives around him before they reach the 330-foot mark and pulls away for the win. Medlen will have lane choice over Johnson in round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  711 Jack Beckman                            8 Del Worsham                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.097  4.825 322.88                     0.085  5.791 179.33
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Densham   ) 0.088  4.793 324.90      (M Ashley    ) 0.092  4.828 320.97
 Qualified:             #4  4.720 330.39                       #12  4.794 301.33

These two have only met once before, Beckman winning that one. Worsham gets a small hole-shot but the right lane just won't hold the power this round. He gets about 250 feet out, hazes the tires, then Beckman drives around him and pulls away for the win. Beckman will have lane choice over Bartone in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink