Tue, 10 Feb 2009, 09:20 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Alcohol 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
   72 Doug Gordon                           457 Tony Bartone                 
E4                   0.036  5.618 261.83     ****WINNER****  0.053  5.530 259.81
 Prior rounds:
E3    (B Williamson) 0.062  5.500 261.83      (K Webster   ) 0.055  5.609 256.02
E2    (C Thompson  ) 0.057  5.511 261.88      (F Manzo     ) 0.043  5.684 254.47
E1    (J Payne     ) 0.058  5.636 255.43      (S Bellemeur ) 0.063  5.993 246.98
 Qualified:             #7  5.802 255.29                        #9  5.837 244.78

6:12 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 58 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.02 inches, adjusted altitude 1,351 feet, track temperature 59 degrees.

Getting down to the final and it feels like it's getting colder by the minute. Is this an event of destiny for Bartone after coming back from the nitro ranks? Gordon has put up some stellar, in fact Manzo like numbers. Gordon spun the tires hard at the hit and that was all it took for Bartone to take home his first Alcohol Funny Car Wally in several years. Nice runs for both racers as both reset their career best numbers for both ET and speed this week.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink