Sun, 16 Sep 2007, 01:24 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations |
By Dave Rowe |
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 711 Jack Beckman 729 Jerry Toliver E1 ****WINNER**** 0.100 4.854 312.57 0.112 5.310 203.37 Qualified: #5 4.832 313.07 #12 4.887 304.8011:48 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 35 percent, barometer 29.88 inches, adjusted altitude 1,163 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.
This is Beckman's 34th start. He has a career record of 31-30. This is the first time he has raced Toliver.
This was a pretty good race to half-track, then Toliver hazes the tires and starts losing ground.
Jack Beckman's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.012), 330 ft(-0.009),
660ft(0.028), 1,000ft(0.164). MOV: 0.4688 seconds (more than 100 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
5 Tony Pedregon 28 Ron Capps
E1 0.081 4.974 277.20 ****WINNER**** 0.086 4.895 308.50
Qualified: #6 4.840 316.38 #11 4.869 311.70
Pedregon won this race in '02, Capps won it in '00. This is a pivotal round, both drivers are
in the countdown. Pedregon has a 20-18 career record over Capps. Pedregon struggled a little in
qualifying, only getting in the field on his last attempt.They leave the line together, Pedregon with just a slight advantage. He keeps the lead for the first sixty feet, then it sounded like he pedaled quickly. Capps drove around and went on through for the win.
Ron Capps' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.008), 330 ft(0.030),
660ft(0.045), 1,000ft(0.044). MOV: 0.0744 seconds (approximately 30 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 7321 Ashley Force 750 Del Worsham E1 0.158 4.865 303.98 ****WINNER**** 0.110 4.848 315.05 Qualified: #2 4.810 316.38 #15 4.915 314.46This is Force's 15th start, the third from the second spot. Worsham is 325-299 in his career and won the only meeting he has had with Force. He was the runner-up here in '02.
Worsham gets a big hole-shot and starts to pull away. Force started to make a move, then the car
started moving around. She stayed on the throttle, then started to mix up cylinders late in the
run. Worsham went right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 Robert Hight 170 Jeff Arend
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.115 4.860 309.42 0.080 4.930 308.50
Qualified: #1 4.762 320.36 #16 4.915 309.84
This is Hight's's 63rd race and he has started 22 of those from the number one spot. Arend is
competing in his 68th race, his fifth from the 16th spot. Hight has a 5-0 career advantage over
Arend.
This was a great drag race, both cars going right down the groove. Arend comes off the line first
and starts to pull away. He hangs on to the lead until just before half-track. Hight pulls around
him at that point and goes on through for the win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 33 Tommy Johnson Jr. 404 Kenny Bernstein E1 ****WINNER**** 0.055 5.299 238.81 0.047 6.745 127.67 Qualified: #3 4.812 314.39 #14 4.897 309.98Johnson and Bernstein have both won this event in Top Fuel. Bernstein has a 11-3 advantage over Johnson in career match-ups.
Bernstein gets away first, then strikes the tires about 200 feet out. He pedals a couple of times
but can't get the slicks to bite. Johnson drives around quickly, then he strikes the tires and
starts to pedal. he starts moving around, almost hitting the wall about 900 feet down, then finally
backs off the throttle.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 John Force 10 Cruz Pedregon
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.100 4.902 311.70 0.146 4.951 287.84
Qualified: #4 4.818 317.05 #13 4.890 305.98
This is Force's 15th start, the third from the second spot. Worsham is 325-299 in his career
and won the only meeting he has had with Force. He was the runner-up here in '02. A bit of a
staging battle here, then both go in at the same time. Pedregon is a little late off the line and
that was all Force needed. Force makes a decent pass, but started mixing up cylinders about 1100
feet out.Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 782 Gary Densham 7 Gary Scelzi E1 0.112 4.878 310.05 ****WINNER**** 0.084 4.899 308.92 Qualified: #7 4.849 287.72 #10 4.867 315.34This is Densham's 390th race. He won his first race here in '01. Scelzi won in the Top Fuel class here in 2000. He and Densham are tied with seven wins each when facing each other.
Another good race here. Scelzi gets the hole-shot, then Densham starts to reel him in. He gets to within .005 of Scelzi at the 330 foot mark, but then Scelzi made a move and pulled away for the win.
Gary Scelzi's incremental margins: 60ft(0.006), 330 ft(0.005), 660ft(0.014), 1,000ft(0.013).
MOV: 0.0079 seconds (approximately 4 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 319 Scott Kalitta 427 Tony Bartone E1 0.117 9.373 85.34 ****WINNER**** 0.146 4.868 310.34 Qualified: #8 4.852 311.85 #9 4.855 315.12Kalitta has raced in Memphis 14 times, his first appearance was in 1988. He was the runner-up here in 1994. This is Bartone's 79th start, 28 of those in the alcohol classes.
Kalitta gets a small advantage off the line, then Bartone starts to reel him in quickly. Bartone drives around him quickly then never looks back, going right down the groove. Kalitta gets about 400 feet out and strikes the tires, ending his day.
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In the next round it will be Hight with lane choice over Bartone, Beckman taking on Force, Worsham
against Scelzi, and Capps with lane choice over Johnson.
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