Sun, 7 Sep 2003, 03:17 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Johnny Gray                             1 John Force
E2   ****WINNER****  0.070  4.945 309.91                     0.058  6.333 149.95
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Burkart Jr) 0.054  4.914 304.39      (D Worsham   ) 0.059  4.969 296.89
 Qualified:             #9  4.821 321.27                        #1  4.759 307.72

Current weather conditions: 75 degrees, 49 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.09 inches, with a track temperature of 111 degrees.

Force with the starting line advantage and then started to lose traction around 200 feet. He pedaled it and then just blistered the hides. Gray with a good clean pass to move into the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Scotty Cannon                         347 Tim Wilkerson
E2                   0.134  6.551 133.84     ****WINNER****  0.088  4.994 305.15
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Capps     ) 0.059  4.903 311.34      (G Scelzi    ) 0.076  4.829 321.27
 Qualified:            #10  4.822 316.60                       #15  4.860 319.52

Wilkerson with big starting line advantage and just drove away for the win as Cannon lost traction around 330 feet and then finally gave it up.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Gary Densham                          503 Tommy Johnson Jr.
E2   ****WINNER****  0.071  5.734 180.14                     0.075  6.358 175.52
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Bode      ) 0.090  4.812 321.58      (F Pedregon  ) 0.075  4.905 307.30
 Qualified:             #4  4.786 320.97                        #5  4.788 318.92

Densham with a slight starting line advantage, but then Johnson was back out ahead and then he started to smoke the tires. He pedaled and could not get it to hook up while Densham lost traction on the top end, but still gets the win light. He will give up lane choice to Gray.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Dean Skuza                             71 Cruz Pedregon
E2   ****WINNER****  0.101  4.903 302.62                     0.081  5.145 232.95
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Pedregon  ) 0.082  4.941 261.72      (W Bazemore  ) 0.061  4.887 313.88
 Qualified:             #6  4.805 311.41                       #14  4.859 317.87

Cruz was out of the gate first, but then starts to lose traction and then mix up the cylinders. Then with a quick flash of flame the engine let go.

Skuza was straight down Broadway foe the win and he will have lane choice over Wilkerson in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink