Sun, 26 Oct 2003, 03:21 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

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

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  347 Tim Wilkerson                           9 Dean Skuza
E1   ****WINNER****  0.118  4.901 314.75                     0.062  5.905 161.79
 Qualified:             #5  4.807 322.50                       #12  4.915 299.13

11:40 AM Current weather conditions: 83 degrees, 27 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.05 inches.

Wilkerson was a little behind off the line but started making up ground quickly. Skuza hung on to the lead until just before half-track, then he starts hazing the tires, the car starts moving around a little and he shuts down.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  156 Phil Burkart                          340 Bob Bode
E1   ****WINNER****  0.091  4.969 302.75                    -0.007  6.518 135.52
 Qualified:             #3  4.796 320.58                       #14  4.946 301.94

Bode leaves the line a little too quickly, gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Burkart makes a good pass for the conditions.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Gary Densham                          589 Keith Jackson
E1                   0.097 20.648  29.46     ****WINNER****  0.079  5.789 176.93
 Qualified:             #2  4.758 324.12                       #15  4.950 304.53

Densham had problems right off the line, he hits the throttle, gets about 50 feet out and something in the driveline breaks. Jackson got about 400 feet out, started moving around, first to the left, then right then back to the left again.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tony Pedregon                         121 Terry Haddock
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  4.886 313.37                     0.107  4.979 301.67
 Qualified:             #1  4.753 322.88                       #16  4.970 310.70

Haddock makes a good pass, going right down the groove, but Pedregon had this one all the way. Pedregon gets off the line first, the engine never misses a beat, and he takes another step towards the points championship.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                             20 Gary Scelzi
E1                   0.005  4.920 313.88     ****WINNER****  0.026  4.879 321.88
 Qualified:             #4  4.797 319.60                       #13  4.916 313.51

A great side-by-side on this one. Force gets off the line first and starts pulling away. He extends his lead at the 330-foot mark, then Scelzi starts reeling him in. They were dead even at the 1000-foot mark, then Scelzi pulled away for the win. Scelzi will have lane choice over Wilkerson in the next round.

Gary Scelzi's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.043), 330 ft(-0.047), 660ft(-0.027), 1,000ft(0.000). MOV: 0.0204 seconds (approximately 9 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Whit Bazemore                         503 Tommy Johnson Jr.
E1   ****WINNER****  0.062  4.904 307.79                     0.002  5.369 226.81
 Qualified:             #6  4.825 309.98                       #11  4.894 307.23

Another good race, Johnson gets a big hole-shot, then Bazemore starts making up ground. Bazemore drives around Johnson just before half-track, then pulls away for the win to keep his title hopes alive. He will have lane choice over Burkart in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   73 Frank Pedregon                         28 Ron Capps
E1   ****WINNER****  0.063  4.929 307.16                     0.065  4.945 305.70
 Qualified:             #7  4.836 303.37                       #10  4.886 314.09

These two come off the line together, then Pedregon starts pulling away. He continues to extend his lead until the 1000-foot mark, then Capps starts making up ground. Capps runs out of race-track, Pedregon hangs on for the win. Pedregon will have lane choice over Jackson in the next round.

Frank Pedregon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.002), 330 ft(0.025), 660ft(0.029), 1,000ft(0.020). MOV: 0.0187 seconds (approximately 8 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Scotty Cannon                           3 Del Worsham
E1                   0.086  5.446 203.40     ****WINNER****  0.085  4.926 315.19
 Qualified:             #8  4.863 322.34                        #9  4.872 312.35

Cannon gets out in front at sixty feet, starts pulling away, then loses traction a little before half-track and has to abort the run. Worsham will take on Tony Pedregon in the next round, Pedregon with the lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink