Sun, 9 Nov 2003, 04:49 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Tate Branch                           714 Dennis Taylor
E2                   0.082  5.636 254.14     ****WINNER****  0.048  5.639 251.91
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Williamson) 0.076  5.650 250.32      (V Moats     ) 0.062  5.724 246.62
 Qualified:             #4  5.626 252.47                       #12  5.701 250.27

1:00 PM We ran the first round last evening after dark. Today we have total cloud and the threat of rain is in the back of everyone's mind. Taylor does his driver thing and pulls off the upset and a trip to the semis. He had .04 in the bank and almost matched Branch's ET.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Steve Gasparrelli                      77 John Weaver
E2   ****WINNER****  0.055  5.640 253.85                    -0.057 11.722  91.89
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R August Jr ) 0.019  5.647 255.68      (E Marx      ) 0.022  5.708 248.89
 Qualified:             #3  5.620 257.97                       #11  5.690 249.81

A couple of Div-7 hitters match up here in round two. Weaver can't wait and turns on the big red bulb. Gasparrelli gets a free ride to the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  550 Shawn Jones                           703 Mark Woznichak
E2   ****WINNER****  0.066  5.647 252.19                     0.087  5.713 251.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Payne     ) 0.092  5.633 252.90      (R Lee       ) 0.061  5.675 251.16
 Qualified:            #16  5.742 248.84                        #8  5.647 253.66

Jones gets the early lead and holds on for the win. He faces Taylor next round and Taylor has choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Bucky Austin                            7 Marc White
E2   ****WINNER****  0.082  5.628 253.61                     0.077 10.657  78.80
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Littlefiel) 0.138  5.656 249.63      (D Gordon    ) 0.043  5.698 252.43
 Qualified:             #2  5.619 256.70                       #10  5.681 250.97

White gets a slight lead at the hit but the car got real loose at the top of second gear. It swung left and right and White finally has to call it off. Austin was right down the lane and wins the round as well as lane choice over Gasparrelli next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink