Sun, 12 Oct 2008, 02:52 PM Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Results of round 3 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                           28 Ron Capps                    
E3   ****WINNER****  0.083  4.759 277.54                     0.088  5.870 200.86
 Prior rounds:
E2    (T Pedregon  ) 0.053  4.063 303.57      (R Hight     ) 0.100  4.088 299.00
E1    (D Worsham   ) 0.087  4.048 304.94      (M Neff      ) 0.074  4.085 300.93
 Qualified:             #7  4.059 300.06                       #14  4.088 291.76

2:42 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 51 percent, barometer 30.22 inches, adjusted altitude 1,320 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Beckman and Capps have each won 3 times against the other in prior events, but Capps is 2-0 in semifinals.

Both drivers struck the tires, but Capps did it earlier in his run and both recovered at about the same time, Beckman with more momentum and closer to the finish line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                         347 Tim Wilkerson                
E3   ****WINNER****  0.048  4.134 296.76                     0.068  4.438 250.78
 Prior rounds:
E2    (T Johnson Jr) 0.057  4.096 303.30      (M Troxel    ) 0.097  4.109 302.28
E1    (T Bartone   ) 0.078  4.026 306.53      (A Force     ) 0.076  4.071 302.48
 Qualified:             #1  4.041 306.88                       #12  4.079 302.48

This is huge for both drivers. Wilkerson just saw Beckman, #2 in the points, advance to the finals and Pedregon could move from fifth to third with this round win. Pedregon is 9 - 6 against Wilkerson in prior events, but Wilkerson is 1-0 in semifinals.

It was close at the start, but Wilkerson started hazing the tires first and fell behind to stay. It will be Pedregon and Beckman in the finals. Beckman can narrow Wilkerson's lead to 31 points with a win. Cruz can't catch either of them if he wins, but he can get within a couple rounds of the lead by doing so.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink