Sun, 22 Jun 2008, 12:42 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations |
By Larry Sullivan |
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 319 Scott Kalitta 2 Robert Hight E1 No Time ****WINNER**** 1.513 23.372 73.14 Qualified: #13 4.974 300.73 #4 4.810 303.7111:50 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 62 percent, barometer 29.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,072 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.
Scott Kalitta's crew, along with crew members from the other three Kalitta
teams, assembled in the left lane as Hight made his burnout and then slowly idled down the track to honor Scott. There probably
wasn't a dry eye in the house, this reporter included. Godspeed, Scott, we will miss you.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 782 Gary Densham 388 Jim Head E1 ****WINNER**** 0.115 4.892 302.14 0.128 9.865 52.12 Qualified: #16 5.319 259.41 #1 4.803 320.51It has been 144 races since Jim Head qualified #1, his only #1, and that also came here - a 4.810. This is Densham's 336th start, his 32nd from the #16 position and the third race in a rwo where he's faced the #1 qualifier. Densham is 3 - 2 against Head in prior events.
Head shook, pedaled, and the chutes came out early, while Densham went right down the groove with his best pass
of the weekend.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 33 Tommy Johnson Jr. 7 John Force E1 0.080 6.695 170.26 ****WINNER**** 0.107 5.864 174.17 Qualified: #14 5.035 302.21 #3 4.810 321.12This is John Force's 27th E-Town NHRA race, his first coming in '79. He has also made many runs here in the famous Englishtown Funny Car "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday" match races. One of his frequent opponents was Al Hofmann, and Hofmann's car is on display in the manufacturer's midway this weekend. TJ is the defending event champ.
TJ struck the tires first, Force a second or so later, but he
was able to put his match race experience to good use, pedaling effectively to take the win while Johnson was unable to get the
tires hooked back up.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Tony Pedregon 10 Ashley Force
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.072 4.939 306.19 0.091 4.927 302.35
Qualified: #15 5.236 253.23 #2 4.803 314.75
This is the second time Ashley Force has qualified #2 on speed. Pedregon won here in '01 and this is only the 6th time he's
qualified #15. Pedregon is 4 - 2 against Force in prior events. Good drag race, Pedregon the winner on a holeshot. Tony
Pedregon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.025), 330 ft(0.024), 660ft(0.010), 1,000ft(0.006). MOV: 0.0072 seconds (approximately 3
feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Gary Scelzi 750 Del Worsham
E1 0.105 4.933 309.34 ****WINNER**** 0.083 4.946 313.95
Qualified: #12 4.883 315.64 #5 4.831 314.53
Worsham got his first win here in '91, was runner-up here in '92, won again in '05. Scelzi has never won this event. Scelzi is 9
- 5 against Worsham in prior events. Another close, side-by-side race and the blue body "luck" pulls off a holeshot win for
Worsham. Del Worsham's incremental margins: 60ft(0.038), 330 ft(0.036), 660ft(0.014), 1,000ft(0.005). MOV: 0.0097 seconds
(approximately 4 feet). Worsham has lane choice against Hight in round two.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 729 Jerry Toliver 507 Melanie Troxel E1 0.121 4.914 308.92 ****WINNER**** 0.099 4.935 317.79 Qualified: #11 4.876 318.02 #6 4.835 321.50This is Troxel's third top-half qualifying position in a row. Toliver is making his tenth start of the season. This is the first time Toliver and Troxel have faced each other in eliminations.
Toliver "double-bulbed" Troxel, but she still
had the better light. Another close, side-by-side race and another holeshot win. Melanie Troxel's incremental margins (negative if
behind): 60ft(0.013), 330 ft(-0.001), 660ft(-0.014), 1,000ft(-0.010). MOV: 0.0013 seconds (approximately 7 inches). Troxel faces
John Force next round and will have lane choice.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 7701 Mike Neff 28 Ron Capps E1 ****WINNER**** 0.075 4.874 317.05 0.057 4.922 316.45 Qualified: #10 4.870 306.12 #7 4.856 317.34Capps has been to two finals here, winning in '06. This is Neff's 12th start, the 5th from the bottom half of the field. Neff is 1 - 0 against Capps in prior events.
Capps got the holeshot, but Neff ran him down in the first 60 feet and ran low ET of the
round for a surprisingly easy win against a run that would have won in almost every other pair this round. Mike Neff's MOV: 0.0309
seconds (approximately 14 feet). He has lane choice against Tony Pedregon next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 347 Tim Wilkerson 1777 Bob Tasca III E1 ****WINNER**** 0.092 4.887 316.01 0.071 5.025 285.83 Qualified: #9 4.863 312.71 #8 4.856 316.38Tasca won here in TAFC last year. This is his 10th start in Nitro Funny Car. Wilkerson is facing his 51st different opponent.
Tasca rolled in deep just before the tree came down, got a small advantage on the tree, but Wilkerson led by 0.042
seconds at the 60-foot marker and pulled away to win by over a car length. Wilkerson will have lane choice against Densham in round
two.
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