Sun, 21 Sep 2008, 04:50 PM Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 3 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Jack Beckman                            1 Tony Pedregon                
E3                   0.099  4.261 275.62     ****WINNER****  0.043  4.276 287.53
 Prior rounds:
E2    (G Densham   ) 0.128  4.187 289.57      (R Hight     ) 0.058  4.232 293.98
E1    (J Toliver   ) 0.126  4.128 291.82      (J Arend     ) 0.086  4.147 296.57
 Qualified:             #5  4.099 300.00                        #8  4.110 300.20

3:37 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 90 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 29.50 inches, adjusted altitude 3,235 feet, track temperature 126 degrees.

Beckman holds a slim two point lead in the points, 2206-2204. they are 1-1 in career meetings.

Pedregon gets out of the gate first, Beckman starts to gain ground, then Pedregon starts to pull away again after th 660 foot mark and takes the hole-shot win. Pedregon takes the points lead by 18 points.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 John Force                            347 Tim Wilkerson                
E3                   0.066  4.417 255.29     ****WINNER****  0.107  4.201 295.79
 Prior rounds:
E2    (A Force     ) 0.112  4.171 298.27      (B Tasca III ) 0.093  4.187 296.11
E1    (C Pedregon  ) 0.061  4.163 302.48      (R Capps     ) 0.132  4.120 298.34
 Qualified:             #7  4.109 301.33                        #6  4.099 299.66

Force and Wilkerson have met 29 times in their careers, Force has a 23-6 advantage, 2-1 this year. Wilkerson was only nine points behind Pedregon starting this round.

Force gets off the line first, then Wilkerson starts to reel him in. Force gets about 500 feet out, starts hazing the tires, then Wilkerson drives around him and pulls away for the win.

Wilkerson will have lane choice over Pedregon in the final round. Whoever wins the final round leave with the points lead.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink