Sun, 28 Oct 2007, 03:34 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Bob Orme

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  711 Jack Beckman                          750 Del Worsham                  
E1                   0.092 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.100  5.402 259.66
 Qualified:             #5  4.782 321.81                       #12  4.809 316.15

11:50 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 16 percent, barometer 30.11 inches, adjusted altitude 1,692 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Beckman barely moved off the line when the lights went green. Worsham pedaled it a couple times after half track, not knowing Beckman wasn't beside him.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  170 Jeff Arend                           7701 Mike Neff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.052  4.834 322.11                     0.082  6.667 130.43
 Qualified:            #10  4.799 316.67                        #7  4.784 326.40

Neff was originally going to race in the left lane but his team decided to swap lanes at the last minute. Neff's engine blew up big time just past the 330-foot mark. Arend made a trouble-free pass he moves on to the next round. Neff left some "stuff" in his lane so we'll be down for a short time to clean up the track.

Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.348, 660ft-3.333/259.76mph, 1,000ft-4.142

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                               8 Phil Burkart                 
E1                   0.055  6.293 177.77     ****WINNER****  0.045  4.906 312.78
 Qualified:             #6  4.783 322.96                       #11  4.809 318.77

12:08 p.m. The Force team did another lane swap, but this time it was their opponent who decided they should switch lanes. Capps lost traction at about 250 feet and Burkart just drove away from him.

Phil Burkart's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.404, 660ft-3.384/260.81mph, 1,000ft-4.198

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  782 Gary Densham                         7321 Ashley Force                 
E1                   0.118 10.058 107.02     ****WINNER****  0.133  4.869 310.48
 Qualified:             #4  4.777 320.66                       #13  4.819 307.65

Densham blew the tires off before he got past the tree. No problems for Force and she'll have lane choice over Worsham in round two.

Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.343, 660ft-3.335/255.92mph, 1,000ft-4.156

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                          388 Jim Head                     
E1                   0.092  5.751 169.36     ****WINNER****  0.055  4.994 269.62
 Qualified:             #1  4.763 322.58                       #16  4.835 323.43

Team Force decided to put Hight in the left lane. His car lost traction and he was wiggling around at half track, allowing Head to drive away from him.

Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.404, 660ft-3.405/255.19mph, 1,000ft-4.227

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Tony Pedregon                         729 Jerry Toliver                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.069  5.431 251.53                     0.101  8.532  96.62
 Qualified:             #2  4.770 314.09                       #15  4.833 318.54

Toliver lost traction at about 200 feet and his engine went silent. Pedregon struck the tires at the 330-foot mark. He pedaled it several times, his car moving all over his lane as he went down the track. He'll give lane choice to Arend in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Gary Scelzi                            10 Cruz Pedregon                
E1                   0.054  5.298 255.77     ****WINNER****  0.058  4.994 303.23
 Qualified:             #3  4.775 320.81                       #14  4.823 320.89

Scelzi's tean won the Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Challenge this weekend. He was winning this race until he lost traction at half track. He tried to pedal through it, but his car got out of shape and Pedregon pulled away for the win. Pedregon will have lane choice over Burkart in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  319 Scott Kalitta                         180 Mike Ashley                  
E1                   0.114  8.730  94.79     ****WINNER****  0.094  5.451 203.65
 Qualified:             #8  4.788 323.50                        #9  4.796 328.86

Kalitta was up in smoke at about 300 feet. Ashley lost the blower belt at about 900 feet and he coasted across the finish line. Ashley will give lane choice to Head in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink