Sun, 14 Feb 2010, 05:00 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                           1777 Bob Tasca III                
E2                   0.104  4.636 237.25     ****WINNER****  0.083  4.196 301.00
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Densham   ) 0.082  4.524 270.00      (M Troxel    ) 0.058  4.191 301.33
 Qualified:             #5  4.091 308.64                        #4  4.075 306.88

1:39 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 2,757 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Tasca III is 1 - 0 against Hagan in prior events.

Tasca gets a nice starting line advantage and basically repeats his round one performance to take an easy win over a tire spinning Hagan. Hegan had better incrementals until after the 330 light, when the tires started to smoke and he had to give it up.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.379, 660ft-3.596/197.59 mph.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.384, 660ft-3.384/257.78 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                          28 Ron Capps                    
E2                   0.016  4.307 284.45     ****WINNER****  0.129  4.153 299.60
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Hight     ) 0.060  4.330 251.81      (J Head      ) 0.092  4.174 301.20
 Qualified:            #16  4.300 269.83                        #9  4.144 301.54

Capps is 20 - 16 against Pedregon in prior events. Capps was way late off the line, as Pedregon cards a great 0.016 sixty foot time. He stays in front until after mid-track, but a dropped cylinder costs him the win.

Capps makes a clean and straight pass to improve on his round one times.

Ron Capps' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.093), 330 ft(-0.060), 660ft(-0.005). MOV: 0.0419 seconds (approximately 17 feet).

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.404, 660ft-3.449/246.26 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.351, 660ft-3.341/258.07 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Ashley Force Hood                       9 John Force                   
E2                   0.178  4.187 305.98     ****WINNER****  0.096  4.120 305.49
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Wilkerson ) 0.120  4.121 307.72      (B Bode      ) 0.079  4.132 308.07
 Qualified:             #6  4.093 310.70                        #3  4.066 310.41

What a mess! Force Hood's parachute comes out of the pack as she goes up for the burnout. John does his normal long burnout and slowly backs up while the crew frantically repack the chute.

One of the prior pair was still on the track at the last turnout, so Stewart holds John up. He finally tell them both to shut off and then runs back and waves them both up.

John is way out in front at the green and snakes his way down the track for the easy win.

Ashley is way late and apparently didn't need to do a burn out, as her Ford runs a representative ET in the loss.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Del Worsham                             5 Jack Beckman                 
E2                   0.135  4.587 244.38     ****WINNER****  0.092  4.183 304.32
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Arend     ) 0.095  4.188 302.82      (T Pedregon  ) 0.092  4.164 306.12
 Qualified:             #2  4.062 312.35                        #7  4.101 310.91

Beckman is 9 - 1 against Worsham in prior events and takes another one, as Worsham smokes the tires before the 330 lights.

Beckman makes another four teen pass for the easy win.

1:53 p.m. In the next round: Capps will have lane choice over Tasca and Force over Beckman.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink