Sun, 14 Sep 2008, 05:42 PM Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Jason Murray

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                           5 Jack Beckman                 
E4                   0.059  4.162 302.08     ****WINNER****  0.090  4.130 302.82
 Prior rounds:
E3    (T Pedregon  ) 0.030  4.186 301.81      (R Hight     ) 0.002  4.150 301.81
E2    (A Force     ) 0.044  4.153 301.07      (D Worsham   ) 0.040  4.155 298.87
E1    (B Tasca III ) 0.087  4.116 305.70      (J Head      ) 0.116  4.110 304.67
 Qualified:             #5  4.087 303.43                       #11  4.118 300.86

Weather conditions: air temperature 88 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 29.17 inches, adjusted altitude 3,689 feet, track temperature 120 degrees.

Beckman is the hottest driver in Funny Car coming into this event as this is his 4th final round in a row and his 6th of the year. Pedregon is looking for his first win of the year as he has not won a race in 2 seasons, one the high aspects of this weekend is Cruz will leave zMax Dragway with the points lead no matter what the results are in the final round.

Cruz is better on the light, Cruz is out in front at the 1/8th mile, but Beckman comes trucking from behind to drive around Pedregon right at the finish-line. Beckman moves into 2nd in points with the win. Jack Beckman's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.011), 330 ft(-0.004), 660ft(0.001) MOV: 0.0018 seconds (approximately 10 inches).

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink