Sun, 15 Nov 2009, 04:48 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tim Wilkerson                           4 Robert Hight                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.084  4.116 303.71                     0.100  4.368 214.86
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Beckman   ) 0.092  4.126 300.86      (J Toliver   ) 0.091  4.842 196.64
 Qualified:             #6  4.080 301.54                        #3  4.067 310.20

1:32 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 29.00 inches, adjusted altitude 2,447 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

Hight holds an 8-6 record against Wilkerson, 3-2 in round two matchups.

Wilkerson had a slight edge on the tree, but it was almost dead-even until Hight started spinning the tires and fishtailing about 400 feet out. Wilkerson advances, the 2009 champion can start working on his speech.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Ashley Force Hood                     750 Del Worsham                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.099  4.146 306.60                     0.059  4.373 238.43
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Bode      ) 0.133  4.240 289.94      (C Pedregon  ) 0.035  4.595 189.90
 Qualified:             #1  4.059 310.20                        #9  4.129 301.54

Force Hood is 10-3 against Worsham, but that drops to 2-1 in round two faceoffs.

Worsham had a nice lead almost to half track, but he, too, started spinning the tires and falling back.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                             28 Ron Capps                    
E2                   0.099  4.126 305.22     ****WINNER****  0.070  4.144 310.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Pedregon  ) 0.096  4.139 304.05      (B Tasca III ) 0.092  4.312 236.67
 Qualified:             #4  4.073 277.72                        #5  4.076 307.65

Capps holds a 3-0 record against Hagan. This is only the second time they have met in the second round, the other coming in Phoenix this year.

Capps stole this one on a holeshot, his car avoiding the mid-track tire spin that claimed the first two cars down the left lane in this round. He led by about the same margin all the way down the track. Ron Capps' incremental margins: 60ft(0.011), 330 ft(0.012), 660ft(0.011). MOV: 0.0113 seconds (approximately 5 feet). He will have lane choice against Force Hood, by two thousandths.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 John Force                              9 Mike Neff                    
E2                   0.103  4.138 306.19     ****WINNER****  0.092  4.121 306.40
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Densham   ) 0.114  4.149 307.37      (J Head      ) 0.090  4.184 296.31
 Qualified:             #2  4.059 309.20                       #10  4.137 300.00

Neff is 3-1 against his boss, 1-0 in round two.

This was a close race, but Neff had the better light and the better run to take the win. Mike Neff's incremental margins: 60ft(0.023), 330 ft(0.038), 660ft(0.033). MOV: 0.0280 seconds (approximately 13 feet). After the cars crossed the finish line, Neff's car slowed normally, but Force's first chute balled up and the second was late, his car going about a car length into the sand pit, following his own advice, "If you can't win, be spectacular." That breaks Force's string of 22 consecutive years with at least one win.

Neff faces Wilkerson next round, Wilkerson has lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink