Sun, 29 Jun 2008, 11:56 AM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

NORWALK, Ohio - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   33 Tommy Johnson Jr.                     347 Tim Wilkerson                
E1                   0.054  6.978 132.46     ****WINNER****  0.073  4.905 299.26
 Qualified:            #14  5.064 288.95                        #3  4.910 304.32

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 51 percent, barometer 28.80 inches, adjusted altitude 3,373 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Johnson Jr. is 10 - 4 against Wilkerson in prior events, and 6 - 4 in first round meetings. Johnson Jr. with the starting line advantage, but just blistered the Goodyears by 250 feet. Wilkerson was straight down the groove with a big puff of smoke as it crossed the finish line. His best pass of the weekend, and he said it was spinning the tires from a 1000 feet on.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  388 Jim Head                                1 Tony Pedregon                
E1                   0.118  9.190  84.25     ****WINNER****  0.087  5.485 255.97
 Qualified:            #11  4.994 295.34                        #6  4.975 276.35

Pedregon is 4 - 2 against Head in prior events, and 3 - 1 in first round meetings. Head struck the tires right off the starting line and he pedaled it and the car got sideways and he pedaled it one more time before he lifted. Pedregon smoked the tires early and pedaled it a couple times, but finally got it to hook up enough to take the win. Pedregon will give up lane choice to Wilkerson in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  427 Tony Bartone                         1777 Bob Tasca III                
E1                   0.153  7.677 111.80     ****WINNER****  0.086  5.023 296.63
 Qualified:            #13  5.007 260.11                        #4  4.932 303.64

Bartone is 1 - 0 against Tasca III in prior events, and that was a first round meeting. Tasca with the starting line advantage and never looked back for the win light. Bartone was up in smoke by 330 feet and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                         7701 Mike Neff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.102  4.929 290.57                     0.119  5.294 209.49
 Qualified:             #1  4.882 309.77                       #16  5.200 224.43

Neff is 2 - 0 against Hight in prior events, but this is the first time they have raced in round one. This is the 25th time Hight has qualified No. 1 and he has gone to the finals four times and won three times after starting No. 1. Hight with the starting line advantage and never looked back as his teammate drifted out of the groove and got real close to the centerline.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  729 Jerry Toliver                          28 Ron Capps                    
E1                   0.134  6.295 193.74     ****WINNER****  0.091  5.688 241.41
 Qualified:            #15  5.085 278.12                        #2  4.909 297.42

Capps is 5 - 3 against Toliver in prior events, and 2 -1 in first round meetings. They both strike the tires around the 330-foot mark and they both pedal it. Toliver is back up in smoke and Capps started to hook, but then was back up in smoke. Toliver pedaled it one more time and the front end came up and he finally had to lift. Capps pedaled it a couple more times, but took the win light.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                           5 Jack Beckman                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.132  5.933 204.42                     0.046  6.323 180.12
 Qualified:            #12  4.995 296.83                        #5  4.965 300.26

Pedregon is 3 - 0 against Beckman in prior events, and won the only time they met in round one. Beckman with a big starting line advantage, but then lost traction, and pedaled it a come more times but never got it to hook up. Pedregon shook right off the starting line and then smoked the tires, and he pedaled it and got real close to the centerline. He did a great job of driving the car to keep it in his lane and take the win light. Pedregon will give lane choice to Tasca III in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 John Force                            750 Del Worsham                  
E1                   0.116  5.082 251.95     ****WINNER****  0.126  4.920 307.86
 Qualified:            #10  4.988 274.11                        #7  4.977 302.14

Force is 43 - 20 against Worsham in prior events, and 5 -1 in first round meetings. This is the first time they have raced in the first round in which Worsham has lane choice. Force with a slight lead off the starting line, but Worsham has the difference made up by the time they pass the Christmas tree. Force starts to close in on Worsham around half track, but then the car starts dropping cylinders and that is the end of his weekend. Worsham with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win light and lane choice over Capps in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Ashley Force                          782 Gary Densham                 
E1                   0.122  5.969 149.95     ****WINNER****  0.112  4.990 282.60
 Qualified:             #8  4.980 290.07                        #9  4.983 297.29

Force is 3 - 0 against Densham in prior events, and 2 - 0 in first round meetings. Densham with starting line advantage and never looked back to take the win light. He will give up lane choice to Hight in round two. Force blistered the Goodyears around half track.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink