Sun, 25 Feb 2007, 03:40 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals presented by Castrol:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  206 Bob Gilbertson                        782 Gary Densham
E2                   0.084  9.622  87.31     ****WINNER****  0.099  4.890 288.33
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Force     )       No Time            (G Scelzi    ) 0.105  5.737 231.56
 Qualified:            #11  4.797 300.20                       #14  4.841 316.08

1:22 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 18 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,005 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

Two cars from the bottom half of the field meet in round two, as unlikely as that might seem. Gilbertson took a very slight lead at the green but the Goodyear's rattled loose at about 200ft. Densham streaked away and the #14 qualifier is the first to qualify for the semi-finals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                            4 Eric Medlen
E2   ****WINNER****  0.078  4.908 310.77                     0.099 12.008  77.28
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Arend     ) 0.098  5.104 221.82      (J Beckman   ) 0.105  5.814 207.05
 Qualified:             #1  4.636 327.74                        #8  4.740 321.81

Medlen might as well have hung his arm out the window and signaled a right turn. The tires didn't turn twice before the Mustang headed for the wall. He fell silent while Hight popped and banged his way to the finish. Hight banged the blower at the top end, along with other parts.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             347 Tim Wilkerson
E2   ****WINNER****  0.068  4.766 318.69                     0.114  5.247 222.66
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Force     ) 0.094  4.837 305.22      (M Ashley    ) 0.218  5.013 260.36
 Qualified:             #4  4.699 330.07                       #12  4.810 314.09

Capps never trailed as Wilkerson had tires shake and pedaled several times in the right lane. No problems for Capps as he and the Brut team have lane choice over Hight in the semi-final.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Tony Pedregon                         388 Jim Head
E2   ****WINNER****  0.078  4.924 254.95                     0.087  5.729 168.09
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Kalitta   ) 0.107  4.701 326.71      (T Johnson Jr) 0.093  4.777 326.87
 Qualified:             #2  4.659 324.44                       #10  4.762 325.61

Funny Car is a survival contest this weekend as car after car sheds parts between the starting line and the finish stripe. This time Head broke a few more parts earlier in the run than Pedregon. Pedregon said it got pretty warm in the car and he had crispy boots by the time he bailed out. Pedregon blew it up to the point that Densham will have lane choice when the meet in the other semi.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink