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Sun, 8 Jun 2008, 01:10 PM

Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  729 Jerry Toliver                           1 Tony Pedregon                
E1                   0.096  9.084  89.07     ****WINNER****  0.062  4.884 311.49
 Qualified:             #7  4.783 325.77                       #10  4.797 323.43

11:33 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 64 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 3,545 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Pedregon holds a 13-6 career advantage over Toliver, 12-0 when facing him in the first round. Toliver was behind at the start, then he strikes the tires about 300 feet out, pedals once, then gives up on the run. Pedregon comes back from the fire last night, goes right down the groove and takes the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 4330 Mark Oswald                             5 Jack Beckman                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.087  4.822 319.52                     0.076  4.895 316.82
 Qualified:             #2  4.757 328.46                       #15  4.849 316.90

This is Oswald's first start since '97.

A great side-by-side run, both right down the groove. Beckman gets out of the gate first but Oswald had the difference made up before they reach the sixty-foot timing block. Oswald starts to pull away at that point and increased his lead at every marker.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             319 Scott Kalitta                
E1                   0.099  6.135 153.68     ****WINNER****  0.105  4.918 305.29
 Qualified:             #4  4.777 322.11                       #13  4.825 319.82

Kalitta starts hazing the tires about 400 feet out but stays on the throttle. Capps starts to pull away, then something goes wrong, not sure what, and the car noses over. Kalitta drives around him quickly and pulls away for the win.

Kalitta was leaking oil most of the run and will be charged 10 points for the oil-down.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  507 Melanie Troxel                        782 Gary Densham                 
E1                   0.090  5.050 259.41     ****WINNER****  0.108  4.928 309.98
 Qualified:             #1  4.752 327.27                       #16  4.854 312.57

These two have never met in competition. Troxel became the first female to qualify number one in this class last night.
Troxel was out in front early then started drifting to the left. Densham pulled even about 800 feet out, then Troxel got close to the wall and had to lift.

Densham is now 3-0 in the first round when starting from the 16th spot.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Ashley Force                            2 Robert Hight                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.141  4.817 318.02                     0.098  6.344 142.51
 Qualified:             #3  4.759 329.10                       #14  4.847 290.51

Hight is 2-0 against Force, both in the first round.

Hight gets out of the gate first, starts to extend his lead, then strikes the tires about 500 feet out and backs off the throttle. Force goes right down the groove to take the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                        1777 Bob Tasca III                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.099  4.992 297.09                     0.030  5.276 251.11
 Qualified:             #5  4.780 324.51                       #12  4.820 320.05

Tasca gets a big hole-shot, then rattles the tires about 200 feet out and has to pedal. He loses a cylinder or two in the process and Pedregon drives around quickly and pulls away for the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Gary Scelzi                          7701 Mike Neff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.125  4.897 312.21                     0.140  4.966 307.44
 Qualified:             #6  4.781 319.22                       #11  4.815 322.11

A good side-by-side race here, both moving around a little after half-track, but both under full power all the way through the run. Scelzi gets the hole-shot and slowly pulls away to take the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 John Force                            347 Tim Wilkerson                
E1                   0.081  4.904 313.07     ****WINNER****  0.064  4.919 280.89
 Qualified:             #8  4.783 319.22                        #9  4.788 319.37

For the fifth time in his career, Force is racing an opponent in the first round that he defeated in the final round the prior race. He holds a 23-5 career advantage over Wilkerson, 7-1 in the first round.
Wilkerson gets a little revenge here, getting out of the gate first, then holding off Force to get the hole-shot win.
Tim Wilkerson's incremental margins: 60ft(0.040), 330 ft(0.063), 660ft(0.062), 1,000ft(0.045). MOV: 0.0024 seconds (approximately 13 inches).

In the next round it will be Wilkerson with lane choice over Densham, Kalitta vs. Cruz Pedregon, Oswald vs. Tony Pedregon, and Ashley Force vs. Scelzi.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink