Sun, 12 Oct 2008, 01:34 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Jack Beckman                            1 Tony Pedregon                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.053  4.063 303.57                     0.029  8.843  86.76
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Worsham   ) 0.087  4.048 304.94      (J Toliver   ) 0.072  4.057 306.05
 Qualified:             #7  4.059 300.06                        #2  4.041 305.22

1:12 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 30.26 inches, adjusted altitude 1,162 feet, track temperature 95 degrees.

Pedregon is 3 - 2 against Beckman in prior events, but 0-1 in second-round matchups. This is a major matchup in the Countdown because these two are tied for second place in the points. The loser could fall to fourth because Robert Hight is only one point behind them. Both need to keep winning rounds, but only one of them will be able to do so.

Pedregon was up in smoke instantly and Beckman was uncontested enroute to a round win and sole claim to second place in the Countdown.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Robert Hight                           28 Ron Capps                    
E2                   0.100  6.767  96.42     ****WINNER****  0.100  4.088 299.00
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Force     ) 0.136  4.005 308.28      (M Neff      ) 0.074  4.085 300.93
 Qualified:             #6  4.056 304.32                       #14  4.088 291.76

Hight is 11 - 5 against Capps in prior events, 2-1 in second round matchups. Capps is eighth in points, Hight is fourth - but will move up to third with a win.

Capps had other ideas and Hight smoked the tires about 200 feet out and stays in fourth. Capps made a nice run, but will not have lane choice against Beckman in the semifinals - but he didn't have lane choice here, either.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                          33 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.057  4.096 303.30                     0.128  4.178 293.60
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Bartone   ) 0.078  4.026 306.53      (J Arend     ) 0.071  4.114 305.49
 Qualified:             #1  4.041 306.88                        #8  4.070 303.64

Pedregon is 8 - 7 against Johnson Jr. in prior events, but 0-4 in second-round matchups. Pedregon is fifth in points, could move past Hight and his brother Tony with a couple more round wins today.

The numbers were close, but Cruz had a huge starting line advantage and extended his lead when TJ started hazing the tires on the top end. He is still fifth, but is now 17 points behind Hight and 18 behind his brother.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  507 Melanie Troxel                        347 Tim Wilkerson                
E2                   0.088  4.491 264.65     ****WINNER****  0.097  4.109 302.28
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Scelzi    ) 0.082  4.064 305.91      (A Force     ) 0.076  4.071 302.48
 Qualified:             #4  4.047 308.21                       #12  4.079 302.48

Wilkerson is 1 - 0 against Troxel in prior events and this is the first time they have met in the second round.

Wilkerson did a lot of driving here, first out toward the wall, then drifting left and very close to the finish line timing markers. Meanwhile, Troxel was busy pedaling to get her tires hooked back up and steadily losing ground to the points leader. Wilkerson faces Cruz Pedregon in the semifinals, Pedregon has lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink