Mon, 1 Sep 2008, 04:32 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Von Smith                              53 Roger Bateman                
E4   ****WINNER****  0.053  6.038 245.63                     0.033  6.329 252.00
 Prior rounds:
E3    (S Harker    ) 0.066  5.591 256.45      (F Manzo     ) 0.028  5.622 254.66
E2    (F Hagen     ) 0.075  5.606 256.75      (M Ferro     ) 0.058  5.591 256.16
E1    (A Bohl      ) 0.051  5.610 255.97      (M Nothstein ) 0.046  5.604 256.21
 Qualified:             #7  5.595 256.84                        #5  5.586 256.31

4:25 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 29.16 inches, adjusted altitude 3,393 feet, track temperature 124 degrees.

Bateman was a runner-up at Chicago earlier this season and he's 0-3 in National Event finals. Smith has the National Event titles but he's never won here. Bateman spun the tires early and had to lift. Smith took a huge lead but he spun the tires and Bateman got back on the throttle and made it closer than it might have been. That's four titles and INDY!

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink