Sun, 12 Nov 2006, 04:45 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 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
  782 Gary Densham                          156 Phil Burkart                 
E2                   0.080  7.291 121.19     ****WINNER****  0.085  5.186 283.31
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Worsham   ) 0.074  6.345 196.56      (E Medlen    ) 0.070  4.789 326.87
 Qualified:            #13  4.799 322.88                       #12  4.774 325.30

1:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.19 inches, adjusted altitude 1,931 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Pretty even at the hit but Densham struck the tires early and Burkart had the same problem at the top end. He still gets the win through.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 John Force                             28 Ron Capps                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.064  4.742 326.95                     0.072  5.262 204.29
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Head      ) 0.055  4.801 284.69      (T Wilkerson ) 0.064  4.755 330.47
 Qualified:             #3  4.677 328.22                        #6  4.725 328.86

Here we go. If Force wins he's the Champ...again. And now it's OVER. Capps stayed close until around half track but started to spin the tires. Force stays glued to the racing surface and adds another page to his overflowing record books. Capps took the loss tough at the other end but Force came over and spoke with him with an arm around his shoulder. Pretty tight group here.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tony Pedregon                         711 Jack Beckman                 
E2                   0.062  5.223 210.37     ****WINNER****  0.087  5.060 232.39
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Ashley    )       No Time            (S Kalitta   ) 0.104  4.715 332.75
 Qualified:             #9  4.745 323.35                        #1  4.671 333.66

Beckman get lucky this time. The car got out of the groove and over towards the wall and by the time Beckman corralled the car Pedregon should have gone around him. The problem was that Pedregon no long had a blower belt after half track. Beckman pulls out the win and actually has choice over Burkart next time out.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Robert Hight                          503 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.072  4.758 328.94                     0.048  6.896 135.74
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Gilbertson) 0.049  4.706 324.67      (G Scelzi    ) 0.069  5.000 279.61
 Qualified:             #2  4.672 328.94                        #7  4.725 327.35

TJ actually took the lead at the hit but has the car drive him towards the wall before half track. He starts spinning the tires and can't get the car to recover. Hight was down the middle of Parker Avenue but loses lane choice to the new champ in the other semi final.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink