Sun, 4 May 2008, 02:52 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MADISON, Ill. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 12th annual O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals presented by Castrol:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7701 Mike Neff                               6 Mike Ashley                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.924 309.77                     0.115  4.959 295.79
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Troxel    ) 0.086  4.904 310.63      (S Kalitta   ) 0.114  6.579 252.90
 Qualified:             #7  4.796 316.30                        #2  4.768 327.82

Ashley is 1 - 0 against Neff in prior events. Neff with the starting line advantage, but then Ashley has the lead at half track before it starts mixing up cylinders. Neff drives back around and takes his second round win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                            7 John Force                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.086  5.042 300.60                     0.128  5.811 200.00
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Toliver   ) 0.059  4.834 301.00      (R Capps     ) 0.064  4.862 320.20
 Qualified:             #3  4.771 317.94                        #6  4.794 326.08

Force has won approximately 74% of his second round match ups. Hight is out of the gate first and never looked back for the win. Hight dropped a cylinder on the top end and got close to the centerline. Force had cylinders out as soon as he hit the throttle and start to rattle the tires before he lifted. Hight will give up lane choice to Neff in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  750 Del Worsham                           347 Tim Wilkerson                
E2                   0.091  7.533 121.20     ****WINNER****  0.107  4.826 310.20
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Tasca III ) 0.101  4.817 316.30      (T Bartone   ) 0.115  4.828 322.88
 Qualified:             #8  4.797 320.36                        #1  4.744 326.16

Worsham is 12 - 7 against Wilkerson in prior events, but Worsham holds a four to two advantage when they race in round two. Worsham is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Wilkerson got real loose on the top end, but still runs the quickest pass of this round. Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.331, 660ft-3.312/261.52mph, 1,000ft-4.122

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                           1 Tony Pedregon                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.136  5.080 264.65                     0.068 12.046  79.55
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Scelzi    ) 0.048  4.873 311.34      (A Force     ) 0.067  4.892 297.42
 Qualified:             #5  4.786 322.04                       #13  4.806 317.64

T. Pedregon is 21 - 9 against C. Pedregon in prior events, but Cruz holds a five to two advantage when they race in round two. Tony is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Cruz is on his way to win and then the engine went silent on the top end, but he coast on through the 1320 for the win. He will give up lane choice to Wilkerson in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink