Sun, 1 Apr 2007, 05:40 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in 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
  427 Tony Bartone                          750 Del Worsham                  
E2                   0.122  7.443 119.96     ****WINNER****  0.077  5.021 302.69
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Pedregon  ) 0.139  4.911 301.20      (G Densham   ) 0.076 10.826  87.54
 Qualified:            #15  5.141 224.47                        #7  4.830 318.24

Worsham holds a six to three advantage in head to head match ups. Bartone started to smoke the tires around 200 feet and that was the end of his weekend. Worsham was right down the groove. Worsham is going to the semifinals for the first time since Brainerd of last year.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Cruz Pedregon                         206 Bob Gilbertson               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.057  5.367 240.47                     0.055 14.262  82.21
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Simpson   ) 0.090  4.826 309.56      (J Arend     ) 0.060  4.907 304.94
 Qualified:             #1  4.796 300.20                        #9  4.854 302.82

Pedregon holds a four to one advantage in head to head match ups. Gilbertson was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Cruz started to lose traction around half track and pedaled it a couple times and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  180 Mike Ashley                           388 Jim Head                     
E2                  -0.094  4.880 305.08     ****WINNER****  0.095  4.869 306.53
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Johnson Jr) 0.128  4.788 325.30      (T Wilkerson ) 0.051  4.899 314.97
 Qualified:             #4  4.814 309.63                        #5  4.823 282.72

Ashley after setting low E.T. last round turns on the red light and Head is going to the semifinals. The last time Head was in the semifinals at this race was 1998. He will have lane choice over C. Pedregon.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Gary Scelzi                            28 Ron Capps                    
E2                   0.074  9.254  96.96     ****WINNER****  0.067  4.866 312.42
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Bernstein ) 0.080  4.804 317.05      (J Beckman   ) 0.088  4.872 313.95
 Qualified:             #6  4.827 311.85                        #3  4.806 315.34

Capps with the starting line advantage and never looks back and runs low E.T. of the round. Scelzi is up in smoke by 150 feet and that is the end of his weekend. This is Capps 290th round win. He will have lane choice over Worsham in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink