Sun, 5 Oct 2003, 02:53 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  347 Tim Wilkerson                         302 Dale Creasy Jr.
E2   ****WINNER****  0.086  4.822 317.64                     0.098  9.337  86.63
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Wyatt     ) 0.580  4.833 319.75      (T Pedregon  ) 0.050  4.904 309.42
 Qualified:             #5  4.811 319.75                       #13  4.942 304.94

Current weather conditions: 58 degrees, 44 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.98 inches.

Wilkerson with the starting line advantage and then is mixing up some cylinders on the top end, but holds on to take the win. Creasy blisters the tires about 200 feet off the starting line and he clicks it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  156 Phil Burkart                            9 Dean Skuza
E2                   0.071  4.929 294.82     ****WINNER****  0.074  4.866 307.44
 Prior rounds:
E1    (F Pedregon  ) 0.068  4.836 302.96      (R Capps     ) 0.061  4.888 304.25
 Qualified:             #6  4.813 320.43                        #3  4.794 309.20

They leave the line together and Skuza just increases his lead at each incremental to take the win by 26 feet. Burkart got out of the groove around half track while Skuza was straight down Broadway.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                         121 Terry Haddock
E2   ****WINNER****  0.099  5.804 220.04                     0.128  6.731 157.72
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Scelzi    ) 0.027  4.796 320.43      (J Force     ) 0.111  4.973 308.35
 Qualified:             #7  4.819 313.73                       #15  4.974 310.20

Pedregon is out of the gate first and then Haddock starts to smoke the tires and pedals it, then cruz starts to strike the tires and it become a pedal feast. Cruz wins this one with both on and off the the throttle at three time a piece. Skuza will have lane choice over Pedregon.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Gary Densham                            3 Del Worsham
E2   ****WINNER****  0.092  4.875 317.79                     0.056  5.350 194.46
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Lee       ) 0.104  4.859 270.21      (T Johnson Jr) 0.067  5.172 278.00
 Qualified:             #1  4.749 327.27                        #9  4.876 312.13

Worsham is back fro that big first round engine explosion and is off the starting line first. Densham starts to loose traction and pedals it one time. Worsham loses the blower belt around 1200 feet to end his day. Densham will give up lane choice to Wilkerson in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink