Sat, 31 May 2008, 06:04 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  551 Vern Moats                             31 Daniel Wilkerson             
E1                   0.083 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.028  5.759 250.64
 Qualified:            #11  5.830 249.21                        #6  5.716 251.72

Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 385 feet, track temperature 114 degrees.

Wilkerson with starting line advantage and never looked back to move into round two. Moats got real loose on the top end and took out the 1000 foot cones and finish line cones.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   42 Jimmy Jones                           590 Kirk Williams                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.039  5.730 253.56                     0.035  5.825 247.57
 Qualified:             #7  5.725 254.90                       #10  5.821 247.93

Both drivers with great lights but then it was all Jones for the win. Jimmy Jones' incremental times: 60ft-1.008 sec., 330ft-2.573, 660ft-3.798/201.73mph, 1,000ft-4.844

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Cy Chesterman                           8 Von Smith                    
E1                   0.039  5.757 250.13     ****WINNER****  0.041  5.668 253.56
 Qualified:            #12  5.848 250.27                        #5  5.707 254.52

Both of these drivers with great lights and then Chesterman with his best pass of the weekend to give smith a race. Smith with his best pass of the weekend for the win. Von Smith's incremental times: 60ft-0.982 sec., 330ft-2.529, 660ft-3.746/202.88mph, 1,000ft-4.787

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   46 Nancy Matter                         7384 Sean O'Bannon                
E1                   0.071  6.667 242.89     ****WINNER****  0.070  5.713 255.10
 Qualified:            #15  5.892 243.99                        #2  5.683 253.95

Matter with a lot of tire shake as soon as she hit the throttle. O'Bannon with a real nice pass for the win and lane choice against Jones in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7735 Steve Gasparrelli                     484 Kebin Kinsley                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.104  5.708 253.04                     0.081  5.733 250.18
 Qualified:             #9  5.790 246.48                        #8  5.738 250.00

Gasparrelli won this race in 2006. Kinsley with the starting line advantage, but Gasparrelli was able to chase him right in the lights for the win. Steve Gasparrelli's MOV: 0.0021 seconds (approximately 9 inches). Kinsley with his quickest pass in a losing effort...Kebin Kinsley's incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.552, 660ft-3.784/200.89mph, 1,000ft-4.838 Gasparrelli with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  501 Scott McVey                            53 Roger Bateman                
E1                   0.081 14.464  58.05     ****WINNER****  0.061  5.692 251.06
 Qualified:            #13  5.878 247.57                        #4  5.704 249.35

McVey with violent tire shake right off the starting line and he clicks it off. Bateman with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win, but will give up lane choice to Smith in round two. Roger Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.983 sec., 330ft-2.529, 660ft-3.750/201.73mph, 1,000ft-4.800

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  502 John Foster                             2 Jay Payne                    
E1                   0.085  5.891 246.03     ****WINNER****  0.056  5.722 254.42
 Qualified:            #14  5.882 245.99                        #3  5.698 250.83

This is the first time these two have ever raced and that is the 230th different driver Jay Payne has raced in his career. Payne with the win and lane choice over Wilkerson in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Steve Harker                         710D Alexis De Joria              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.119  5.664 255.00                     0.160  5.872 247.11
 Qualified:             #1  5.659 254.81                       #16 11.715  76.98

DeJora with her best pass of the weekend in a losing effort. Harker with the quickest pass of the weekend for the win and lane choice in round two against Gasparrelli.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink