Sun, 11 Feb 2007, 08:06 PM Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Gary Scelzi                           180 Mike Ashley
E3   ****WINNER****  0.086  4.690 331.69                     0.048  4.783 329.26
 Prior rounds:
E2    (E Medlen    ) 0.085  4.752 318.24      (C Pedregon  ) 0.089  5.080 268.71
E1    (J Head      ) 0.076  4.748 329.42      (T Wilkerson ) 0.092  4.755 328.70
 Qualified:             #1  4.692 333.49                       #12  4.778 331.61

4:52 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 49 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 1,429 feet, track temperature 74 degrees.

We're about to set finals in the Nitro Funny car class. Ashley was away first but Scelzi caught him 330. He runs in the 4.6s and is easily into the final...except for one little problem. When he hit the chutes they failed to blossom and after a VERY liberal application of the brakes the car nosed heavily into the wet sand trap. But the time Reinhart asked Scelzi if he was ok the answer indicated that he was furious! He calmed and said it was a good thing he had lots of folks to work on his racer. The body is damaged fairly badly and will most likely be replaced.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                          170 Jeff Arend
E3   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.646 326.95                     0.062  6.942 126.35
 Prior rounds:
E2    (T Pedregon  ) 0.070  4.718 319.29      (R Capps     ) 0.077  4.768 324.05
E1    (A Force     ) 0.087  5.367 190.24      (J Beckman   ) 0.075  5.256 235.15
 Qualified:             #2  4.693 326.79                       #11  4.759 299.86

To face Scelzi in the final it's going to be Hight. He only runs the quickest run in funny car history. Hight had one of the fastest eighth mile speeds I've ever seen at 272.23 mph. On Scelzi's pass he ran 270.54 at the eighth. Needless to say he has choice over Scelzi as well.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink