Sun, 11 Feb 2007, 08:34 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Alcohol 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
    2 Jay Payne                               3 Brian Hough
E3   ****WINNER****  0.089  5.607 259.46                           No Time
 Prior rounds:
E2    (M Woznichak ) 0.050  5.708 257.53      (C Thompson  ) -0.102  5.656 253.42
E1    (J Patton    ) 0.029  5.715 254.28      (R August    ) 0.031  5.700 247.66
 Qualified:             #2  5.557 260.36                        #6  5.641 258.12

5:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 63 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 29.06 inches, adjusted altitude 1,478 feet, track temperature 71 degrees.

Hough never gets to make the run. He couldn't get the car to start and he's out of the car watching Payne make his run. Payne tiptoed around the center line but makes at all the way finish.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  799 Sean Bellemeur                          1 Frank Manzo
E3   ****WINNER****  0.018 10.004  85.49                    -0.002  5.566 255.63
 Prior rounds:
E2    (B Tasca     ) 0.022  5.629 255.43      (K Kraus     ) 0.042  5.674 258.96
E1    (D Taylor    ) 0.035  5.709 252.10      (B Williamson) 0.074  5.500 263.10
 Qualified:            #12  5.742 254.33                        #1  5.501 264.23

We found out that Manzo shook the tires really hard on that last run and had to short shift the car. That's what accounted for his slowest pass of the weekend. Wow! Manzo goes -.002 red and gives the race away to a slowing Bellemeur. It sounded like the burst panel was blown out of the car almost at the hit. Of course Payne has lane choice in the final in Thunder Slug.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink