Sun, 12 Oct 2003, 01:41 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in 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
    3 Del Worsham                           506 Jack Wyatt
E1   ****WINNER****  0.119  4.810 321.65                           No Time
 Qualified:             #4  4.865 321.19                       #13  4.962 309.59

11:44 AM Current weather conditions: 68 degrees, 73 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.12 inches, with a track temperature of 85 degrees.

Wyatt had problems on his last run yesterday and was unable to make the call to the line, giving Worsham the free pass. It probably wouldn't have mattered, Worsham goes right down Broadway with the quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  206 Bob Gilbertson                          4 Gary Densham
E1                   0.113  4.946 283.64     ****WINNER****  0.025  4.874 298.30
 Qualified:            #14  4.963 294.79                        #3  4.832 323.39

These two have met four times this year, Densham winning three of those. Gilbertson is late off the line and starts falling behind. Densham goes right down the groove, then loses power just before he goes through the lights, not sure why.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                             13 Cory Lee
E1   ****WINNER****  0.056  4.861 318.69                     0.058  4.949 316.34
 Qualified:             #1  4.814 322.11                       #16  5.000 314.57

This is the 117th time Force has started from the number one spot, the fifth time this year. This is Force's 321st consecutive event he has qualified for. They come off the line together, then Force starts pulling away. Lee goes through the lights and a flash comes from underneath the car. The left slick explodes, sending pieces of rubber flying all over the track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   20 Gary Scelzi                           302 Dale Creasy Jr.
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  4.879 321.65                     0.083  5.135 285.17
 Qualified:             #2  4.828 323.97                       #15  4.982 304.87

Creasy gets the jump off the line, but Scelzi reels him in before they cross the sixty-foot mark. Creasy starts falling behind, then starts mixing up cylinders about 1000 feet out. Scelzi goes right down the groove, flames high and steady all the way through the lights.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Whit Bazemore                         503 Tommy Johnson Jr.
E1   ****WINNER****  0.058  4.850 320.28                     0.047  4.863 314.57
 Qualified:             #5  4.867 319.94                       #12  4.947 307.16

These two have met five times this year, Bazemore with a 4-1 advantage. He needs a win here to keep his championship hopes alive....and he does it !! Johnson gets the hole-shot and starts pulling away. Bazemore starts reeling him in around half-track, then goes by for the win just as they cross the finish-line. Whit Bazemore's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.008), 330 ft(-0.011), 660ft(-0.009), 1,000ft(-0.006). MOV: 0.0022 seconds (approximately 12 inches). Bazemore will run Worsham in the next round, Worsham with lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tony Pedregon                          28 Ron Capps
E1   ****WINNER****  0.043  4.873 315.78                     0.010  9.053  92.44
 Qualified:             #6  4.894 300.00                       #11  4.947 314.02

Pedregon is 2-1 against Capps this year. Pedregon needs this win to keep pace with Bazemore in the points chase. Capps gets a big hole-shot and keeps the lead through the sixty-foot mark, then he goes up in smoke allowing Pedregon to go by for the win. Pedregon will have lane choice over Densham in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  347 Tim Wilkerson                           9 Dean Skuza
E1                   0.091  5.989 158.36     ****WINNER****  0.067  4.968 287.35
 Qualified:             #7  4.899 315.67                       #10  4.936 305.81

Wilkerson has won the only meeting between these two this year. Skuza gets the hole-shot, then Wilkerson starts reeling him in. Wilkerson gets about 400 feet out, starts hazing the tires, then aborts the run. Skuza will run Scelzi in the next round, Scelzi with lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Scotty Cannon                         156 Phil Burkart
E1                   0.092  4.874 325.73     ****WINNER****  0.090  4.849 316.34
 Qualified:             #8  4.902 318.58                        #9  4.922 311.63

These two leave the line together, then Burkart starts pulling away. He makes his quickest pass of the weekend, headers flames high and steady all the way through the run. He will have lane choice over Force in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink