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Sun, 1 Jun 2008, 01:06 PM

Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Bob Orme

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 1 eliminations in 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
  347 Tim Wilkerson                         222 Frank Hawley                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.072  4.889 307.79                     0.113  4.849 306.95
 Qualified:            #14  4.979 305.56                        #3  4.907 311.63

11:30 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 64 percent, barometer 28.85 inches, adjusted altitude 3,335 feet, track temperature 107 degrees.
This is the first time Wilkerson and Hawley have faced each other in eliminations. Hawley's career round win/loss record is 115/70. This is Wilkerson's 14th start from the number 14 spot. He has 2 round wins from the 14th spot. He won this race in 1994 in TAFC.
A great looking side-by-side drag race! Tim Wilkerson's incremental margins: 60ft(0.037), 330 ft(0.024), 660ft(0.011), 1,000ft(0.019). MOV: 0.0015 seconds (approximately 8 inches).

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.359, 660ft-3.350/256.80mph, 1,000ft-4.154
Frank Hawley's incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.342, 660ft-3.320/261.37mph, 1,000ft-4.132


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  427 Tony Bartone                          782 Gary Densham                 
E1                   0.089  6.648 135.43     ****WINNER****  0.111  4.962 304.32
 Qualified:             #1  4.881 301.81                       #16  5.042 287.90

Densham is 6 - 0 against Bartone in prior events. This is Densham's 30th start from the number 16 spot. He has 6 round wins from the 16th spot. This is Bartone's 2nd Funny Car start from the top spot on the ladder, his 28th overall including Alcohol classes.
Bartone's engine expired just before half track and Densham just drove away from him.

Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.931 sec., 330ft-2.380, 660ft-3.386/250.13mph, 1,000ft-4.231


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1777 Bob Tasca III                           1 Tony Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.017  4.939 309.06                     0.034  6.199 150.16
 Qualified:             #2  4.901 305.91                       #15  4.988 298.27

Tasca III is 1 - 0 against Pedregon in prior events. This is Tasca's best qualifying position in Funny Car. Pedregon has three wins and one runner-up at this event.
Pedregon strikes the tires at half track and Tasca advances to round two.

Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.404, 660ft-3.396/256.60mph, 1,000ft-4.221


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Jack Beckman                          507 Melanie Troxel               
E1                   0.068  4.976 303.03     ****WINNER****  0.074  4.940 297.81
 Qualified:            #12  4.940 306.12                        #5  4.912 304.53

This is the first time Beckman and Troxel have faced each other in eliminations. Beckman is Troxel's 42nd different opponent. She won here in TAD in 1999. This is Beckman's 45th start.
Troxel's engine was going away at about 1100 feet, but she was far enough ahead at that point to take the win.
Melanie Troxel's incremental margins: 60ft(0.033), 330 ft(0.066), 660ft(0.048), 1,000ft(0.039). MOV: 0.0304 seconds (approximately 14 feet).

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.425, 660ft-3.412/256.55mph, 1,000ft-4.245
Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.353, 660ft-3.358/251.44mph, 1,000ft-4.200


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                              71 Cruz Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.029  4.956 307.37                    -0.052  5.021 254.33
 Qualified:             #4  4.911 287.17                       #13  4.965 301.20

Capps is 15 - 13 against Pedregon in prior events. They are split at 7-7 in first round encounters. This is the 15th time Cruz has qualified 13th.
Pedregon left too early and Capps advances to round two. He'll give lane choice to Troxel.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.975 sec., 330ft-2.418, 660ft-3.407/256.06mph, 1,000ft-4.235
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.404, 660ft-3.387/260.01mph, 1,000ft-4.208


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  729 Jerry Toliver                          33 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.008  4.946 305.22                     0.072  4.950 305.36
 Qualified:             #6  4.917 298.27                       #11  4.933 304.32

Johnson has runner-upped twice at this event. His career won/loss round record is 223-260.
A very good looking drag race! Toliver will give lane choice to Wilkerson in round two. Jerry Toliver's incremental margins: 60ft(0.049), 330 ft(0.059), 660ft(0.073), 1,000ft(0.070). MOV: 0.0685 seconds (approximately 31 feet).

Jerry Toliver's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.415, 660ft-3.399/257.14mph, 1,000ft-4.223
Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.410, 660ft-3.408/256.60mph, 1,000ft-4.229


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                            3 Gary Scelzi                  
E1                   0.094  5.237 219.72     ****WINNER****  0.070  4.927 305.70
 Qualified:             #7  4.917 292.27                       #10  4.929 301.60

Scelzi is 6 - 5 against Hight in prior events. Hight has a 2-1 first round advantage over Scelzi. Hight was the number one Funny Car qualifier in the last three events here.
Hight dropped a cylinder at about 800 feet and Scelzi drove away for the win. Scelzi will have lane choice over Tasca in round two.
Gary Scelzi's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.022), 330 ft(-0.039), 660ft(0.028), 1,000ft(0.113). MOV: 0.3348 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.343, 660ft-3.386/238.26mph, 1,000ft-4.294
Gary Scelzi's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.406, 660ft-3.382/259.41mph, 1,000ft-4.205


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Ashley Force                            7 John Force                   
E1                   0.105  4.880 307.93     ****WINNER****  0.084  4.890 291.95
 Qualified:             #8  4.920 296.24                        #9  4.921 304.39

A. Force is 2 - 1 against J. Force in prior events. John has raced at all 20 Summer Nationals events at Heartland Park Topeka, and he has made it to the final round 10 times.
It doesn't get much better than this! John wins on a holeshot, and he will have lane choice over Densham in round two.
John Force's incremental margins: 60ft(0.027), 330 ft(0.026), 660ft(0.030), 1,000ft(0.026). MOV: 0.0119 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.353, 660ft-3.341/259.11mph, 1,000ft-4.160
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.348, 660ft-3.332/257.58mph, 1,000ft-4.155

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink