Sun, 12 Oct 2003, 01:59 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 18th annual O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   52 Cy Chesterman                           3 Jay Payne
E2   ****WINNER****  0.060  5.605 254.81                     0.013  5.724 252.88
 Prior rounds:
E1    (E McDow     ) 0.016  5.685 253.44      (T Frickensch) 0.143  5.753 251.95
 Qualified:             #2  5.656 256.62                        #7  5.743 248.41

12:44 PM Current weather conditions: 68 degrees, 73 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.12 inches, with a track temperature of 87 degrees.

Payne gets a big jump off the line but Chesterman drives around him at the sixty-foot mark. Chesterman gets a little out of the groove, drifting toward the center-line, but gets it straightened out for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Bob Newberry                           72 Mert Littlefield
E2   ****WINNER****  0.086  5.640 253.66                     0.067  5.825 243.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Burck     ) 0.117  5.749 248.00      (T Branch    ) 0.040  5.820 246.91
 Qualified:             #1  5.653 254.81                        #9  5.809 234.55

Newberry gives up a little on the line, then pulls even at the sixty-foot mark. He starts pulling away at that point and extends his lead at every incremental.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Steve Gasparrelli                      42 Jackie Stidham
E2   ****WINNER****  0.056  5.610 252.03                     0.015  5.736 249.93
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Percoco   ) 0.046  5.676 253.09      (J Jones     ) 0.065  5.720 245.36
 Qualified:             #3  5.673 255.02                        #6  5.705 252.10

Stidham gets a big hole-shot but Gasparrelli pulls even at the sixty-foot mark. Gasparrelli goes right down the groove and takes the win. He will give up lane choice to Chesterman in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  550 Shawn Jones                           777 John Patton
E2                   0.122  5.785 246.44     ****WINNER****  0.061  5.676 250.97
 Prior rounds:
E1                   0.057  5.912 243.90      (T Bristow   ) 0.160  5.788 251.88
 Qualified:            #12  6.027 242.91                        #4  5.680 252.59

Patton shakes the tires off the line, drives through it, and drives on through for the win. Jones gives him a game effort, running the quickest pass of his career, but it's still not enough. Newberry will have lane choice over Patton in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink