Sun, 8 Feb 2009, 08:10 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jack Beckman                           71 Cruz Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.061  4.196 284.56                     0.072  4.618 232.71
 Qualified:             #8  4.197 289.14                        #9  4.205 305.91

4:21 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 58 degrees, relative humidity 64 percent, barometer 28.88 inches, adjusted altitude 1,703 feet, track temperature 64 degrees.

Pedregon is 6 - 4 against Beckman in prior events. We finally get to the first round of the Nitro Funny Cars and we match Beckman against C.Pedregon. Beckman takes the left lane after most of the others took the right. Pedregon got to about 100ft before he had to give the pedal the first of several hard slaps. Beckman kept all the candles lighted and sort of cruised on to the win. Well, maybe not THAT much of a cruise. According to Beckman he pumped a couple of rods out of the sides of the engine and has put the Safari to work...again!

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  750 Del Worsham                           340 Bob Bode                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.113  4.193 310.41                     0.043  4.744 226.39
 Qualified:             #2  4.038   NS                         #15  4.891 244.65

Worsham is 2 - 0 against Bode in prior events. It's 4:39 p.m. and the call goes out. Well, here'e the debut of the new Al-Anabi Racing team. Worsham will not like his light when he sees his timeslip but certainly will take the win. He did have to give the pedal a hard slap to keep the tires glued at about 100ft. Bode really had to tip toe as he was very close to the centerline after half track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1777 Bob Tasca III                           9 Mike Neff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.244  4.127 302.89                    -0.014  9.287  77.02
 Qualified:             #5  4.143 301.20                       #12  4.286 304.12

Tasca must have been frozen at the tree when the red came on. Neff goes -0.014 red and Tasca certainly didn't face that danger. Neff had the car completely sideways just off the starting line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Ashley Force Hood                    2814 Matt Hagan                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.334 303.43                     0.100  7.981  92.32
 Qualified:             #3  4.061   NS                         #14  4.345 283.01

This is the first time Force Hood and Hagan have faced each other in eliminations. Stats are good! Both drivers pedaled early in the run. Hagan didn't move five feet before the tires were spinning and Hood pedaled at about 60ft. Big win for the Force team.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Robert Hight                          767 Jerry Toliver                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.155  4.159 302.62                     0.146  8.122  87.22
 Qualified:             #1  4.037   NS                         #16  5.061 187.52

Hight is 2 - 0 against Toliver in prior events. Nothing changes on this run as Hight pedaled once and just ran away from Toliver in Jim Dunn's racer. Toliver spun the tires hard but his car would not recover.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 John Force                             28 Ron Capps                    
E1                   0.119  4.141 301.47     ****WINNER****  0.082  4.125 304.67
 Qualified:             #4  4.092 304.39                       #13  4.289   NS  

Force is 41 - 17 against Capps in prior events but Capps gets one back here in the opening round. John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.355, 660ft-3.337/260.76 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.356, 660ft-3.330/263.67 mph. Tasca will have lane choice over Capps by .002 in the second round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Tony Pedregon                         388 Jim Head                     
E1                   0.063 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.068  6.653  96.58
 Qualified:             #6  4.164 300.40                       #11  4.286   NS  

This one got wild. Head lost traction early and was watching Pedregon streak away for what appeared to be an easy win. T.Ped was really loose in the other lane and the car darted to the right, crossing the centerline in the process. Pedregon's run is DQ'd and head gets to face A.Force without the advantage of lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Gary Densham                          170 Jeff Arend                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.138  4.336 283.37                     0.092  4.736 188.25
 Qualified:             #7  4.183   NS                         #10  4.222  22.07

Arend rattled the tires hard at about 60ft after drilling Densham pretty good at the light. He pedaled but the car went sideways, about knocking down the wall. He kept if off but it was Densham that held it together for the win. Worsham has Densham and the Al-Anabi driver holds lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink