Sun, 22 Feb 2009, 06:12 PM Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual Lucas Oil Slick Mist NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Mike Neff                              28 Ron Capps                    
E4                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.154  4.048 306.81
 Prior rounds:
E3    (T Wilkerson ) 0.127  4.080 305.36      (D Worsham   ) 0.083  4.079 304.46
E2    (B Tasca III ) 0.161  4.037 304.19      (M Hagan     ) 0.083  4.118 304.67
E1    (G Densham   ) 0.134  4.047 308.92      (J Arend     ) 0.113  4.105 305.91
 Qualified:             #2  4.050 309.06                        #1  4.023 305.63

4:02 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 22 percent, barometer 28.86 inches, adjusted altitude 2,821 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Neff is looking to get the monkey off his back and win his first ever Funny Car event, he's been close but never closed the deal. This is the sixth time at this event that the #1 and #2 qualifiers in Funny Car have met in the final and no driver has won the first two events of the season in this class since Force did it in 1997. Oh this was just agony! Both cars made the burnout but only one returned to the starting line. Neff could not get the car into backup mode and finally had to idle down the track as Capps was already back at the starting line. Even Neff commented over the PA that he had REALLY wanted to win this one. It didn't happen though and Capps and team are off to a huge start in Nitro Funny Car.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink