Sun, 30 Mar 2008, 01:36 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Mickey Ferro                         2777 Nick Bastiao                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.050  5.611 257.97                     0.057  5.723 253.37
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Andreasson) 0.072  5.875 254.81      (V Moats     ) 0.086  5.727 253.95
 Qualified:             #6  5.678 257.09                       #14  5.782 253.42

12:28 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 83 percent, barometer 29.97 inches, adjusted altitude 1,861 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Close at the start, but Ferro just kept pulling away on his best run of the event. Mickey Ferro's MOV: 0.1190 seconds (approximately 44 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Von Smith                            7384 Sean O'Bannon                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.047  5.604 255.73                     0.071  5.742 252.28
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Callaway  ) 0.042  5.645 257.04      (B Brown     ) 0.103  5.767 256.45
 Qualified:             #5  5.653 255.77                        #4  5.645 257.28

This one was all Smith, away first and also running his best run of the event.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Steve Harker                           10 Cy Chesterman                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.137  5.605 255.68                     0.053  5.750 249.03
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A DeJoria   ) 0.134  5.628 256.16      (S Gasparrell) 0.047  5.773 252.24
 Qualified:             #2  5.595 257.33                       #10  5.739 252.71

Chesterman had a huge hoileshot, but Harker made it three-for-three for event-bests in the left lane to get the win. Steve Harker's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.049), 330 ft(-0.002), 660ft(0.022), 1,000ft(0.041). MOV: 0.0614 seconds (approximately 22 feet). He faces Ferro in the semifinals and will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   42 Jimmy Jones                             2 Jay Payne                    
E2                   0.081  5.800 253.18     ****WINNER****  0.086  5.597 256.06
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Anderson  ) 0.027  5.785 252.99      (S Burck     ) 0.096  5.609 258.22
 Qualified:             #9  5.726 254.09                        #1  5.584 257.24

Payne had lane choice, took the right lane. Doesn't appear lane choice is a factor, Payne ran low ET of the round for the win and lane choice against Smith in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink