Sun, 12 Nov 2006, 03:09 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Gary Scelzi                           503 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E1                   0.072  7.419 116.02     ****WINNER****  0.069  5.000 279.61
 Qualified:            #10  4.766 325.92                        #7  4.725 327.35

11:31 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 29.20 inches, adjusted altitude 2,049 feet, track temperature 91 degrees.

Johnson was runner-up here in 2002. Scelzi won here in TAD in 1985 and 1987. He followed those wins with a win in Top Fuel in 1990. Tire smoke ends the season for Scelzi about 100 feet off the line. I suspect they're glad at this point since they had a very difficult year trying to defend the 2005 title. Johnson had problems of his own, but they occurred near the finish. According to him the car filled with clutch dust and he couldn't see. He kept his foot in it for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  782 Gary Densham                            8 Del Worsham                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  6.345 196.56                     0.098  6.366 280.43
 Qualified:            #13  4.799 322.88                        #4  4.712 309.56

Worsham overcame his problems from the sand trap incident on Friday to make a fairly quick squirt to 1000 feet checking out his backup car. He's 19-8 for his career against Densham. Densham is making his 370th start in Funny Car. Worsham was up in smoke at he hit and Densham joined him at ab out 100 feet. Worsham had to work the pedal but got the car to stick. He was catching Densham big time but just ran out of real estate.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  319 Scott Kalitta                         711 Jack Beckman                 
E1                   0.091  7.548 111.88     ****WINNER****  0.104  4.715 332.75
 Qualified:            #16  4.843 319.37                        #1  4.671 333.66

Beckman becomes the 82nd different driver to qualify #1 at an NHRA national event. His speed in qualifying was the best this season for Top Fuel or Funny Car. This is Kalitta's 300th event and the 15th time he's qualified #16. Beckman and his team just have the Matco Funny Car set on kill. The speed here backs his 333.66 for the new national record. Kalitta smoked the tires fairly early in the left lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  388 Jim Head                                3 John Force                   
E1                   0.080  6.113 149.83     ****WINNER****  0.055  4.801 284.69
 Qualified:            #14  4.831 322.34                        #3  4.677 328.22

Force's first race ever here was in 1978 and he lost in round 1 at that event on a holeshot. This is Head's 375th race. He's is up in smoke early but Force takes another step towards that 14th championship.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  206 Bob Gilbertson                          5 Robert Hight                 
E1                   0.065 14.577  79.37     ****WINNER****  0.049  4.706 324.67
 Qualified:            #15  4.838 318.54                        #2  4.672 328.94

Hight is 6-3 against Gilbertson and is making his 132nd start. This is his 21st #15 qualifying spot. Gliby was traction challenged early but Hight goes low for the round. Hight has choice over Johnson next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  156 Phil Burkart                            4 Eric Medlen                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  4.789 326.87                     0.068  8.127 105.25
 Qualified:            #12  4.774 325.30                        #5  4.723 323.58

Medlen has accomplished something that other teams would kill for. This event represents the third full season that he's qualified for every event. He's 7-2 against Burkart, who's making his 89th start. That 89th is really good for Burkart as Medlen strikes the tires early and was coasting most of the way to the stripe. Burkart gets Densham nest round with lane choice in his pocket.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  347 Tim Wilkerson                          28 Ron Capps                    
E1                   0.057  4.774 330.47     ****WINNER****  0.064  4.755 330.47
 Qualified:            #11  4.772 317.57                        #6  4.725 328.86

Capps is 14-4 against Wilkerson, who's starting his 210th event. What a race this was. Capps certainly hasn't given up yet. He pulls out a close win over Wilkerson and collects lane choice against Force next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tony Pedregon                         180 Mike Ashley                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.060  0.000   NS                      -75.000  0.000   NS  
 Qualified:             #9  4.745 323.35                        #8  4.730 331.85

Ashley has some unfinished work before striking out on his own in 2007. He's qualified well and raced pretty good this season. His 331.85 in qualifying was only eclipsed by Beckman's 333.66. T. Pedregon won this event in 2005. Pedregon runs 4.710/259.76 and takes the win. Ashley takes out the finish line markers when he crosses at about 1000 feet and his 4.828/283.79 is DQd. Bad news for Pedregon as Ashley's taking out the lights DQs his time as well. Had it not been for that he would have had lane choice over Beckman in round 2. By the way. All this happened after Ashley red lighted.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink