Sun, 1 Apr 2007, 04:52 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   75 Dennis Taylor                         484 Kebin Kinsley                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.035  5.719 252.52                     0.104  5.744 250.51
 Qualified:             #9  5.750 252.52                        #8  5.739 251.30

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 69 percent, barometer 29.97 inches, adjusted altitude 1,641 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Taylor with a great light and straight down the groove for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 John Patton                           425 Will Hanna                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.094  5.742 250.32                     0.046  5.910 243.68
 Qualified:             #7  5.711 252.57                       #10  5.750 249.35

Hanna with a big starting line advantage, but then has a lot of tire shake and gets out of the groove. He pedals it and reels it in, but can't chase Patton down.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Brian Hough                           418 Lee Callaway                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.022  5.617 254.38                     0.107  5.808 245.63
 Qualified:             #2  5.603 257.73                       #15  5.923 245.45

Hough with great light and runs a great pass for the win light. Callaway with his best pass of the weekend in a losing effort. Hough will have lane choice over Patton in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   32 Marty Nothstein                         5 Cy Chesterman                
E1                   0.009  6.439 159.55     ****WINNER****  0.025  5.670 255.00
 Qualified:             #4  5.652 256.84                       #13  5.788 254.86

Nothstein with a great light, but Chesterman had the difference made up by 60 feet and then Nothstein got out of the groove and something went bang, so he coasted across the finish line. Chesterman with his best pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  237 Von Smith                              76 Mark Woznichak               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.029  7.893 109.81                     0.049 10.200  78.87
 Qualified:             #5  5.661 254.76                       #12  5.766 241.28

Smith with the starting line advantage, and then Woznichak with severe tire shake and he lifted. Smith bang the blower and the relief panel went flying high into the air and coast on through for the win. Smith will give up lane choice to Chesterman in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   41 Jimmy Jones                            54 Vern Moats                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.049  5.731 252.38                     0.096  6.013 250.04
 Qualified:             #6  5.696 254.71                       #11  5.758 254.09

Jones with a real good light and was straight down the groove for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 Mickey Ferro                            2 Jay Payne                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.020  5.651 256.41                     0.061  5.614 259.56
 Qualified:            #14  5.809 252.43                        #3  5.618 260.06

Ferro with a great light and has the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Ferro will have lane choice over Jones. Mickey Ferro's MOV: 0.0042 seconds (approximately 19 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Bob Newberry                           46 Steve Burck                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.107  5.639 257.83                     0.068  5.983 238.01
 Qualified:             #1  5.598 259.36                       #16  5.927 242.80

Burck with a big starting line advantage, but Newberry has the difference made up by 60 feet. Newberry with the win will have lane choice over Taylor in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink