Sun, 14 Feb 2010, 06:22 PM Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 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
 1777 Bob Tasca III                          28 Ron Capps                    
E3                   0.093 12.686  46.02     ****WINNER****  0.075  4.158 300.46
 Prior rounds:
E2    (M Hagan     ) 0.083  4.196 301.00      (C Pedregon  ) 0.129  4.153 299.60
E1    (M Troxel    ) 0.058  4.191 301.33      (J Head      ) 0.092  4.174 301.20
 Qualified:             #4  4.075 306.88                        #9  4.144 301.54

3:08 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,897 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Capp's Team had a lot of excitement and thrashing after the Charger's rear end locked up on the track after his semi-final win.

They had to bring the FC back to the pits on a flatbed truck and then go back for the body. Several of the DSR team members from Hagan's crew provided help to hurry and prep the car for the final. They had completed the rear end swap and normal maintenance within 35 minutes.

Capps is 8 - 2 against Tasca III in prior events. The extra effort pays off, as Capps takes an easy win. He was off the line first and long gone, when Tasca's Mustang smoked the tires right off the line.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.358, 660ft-3.348/258.71 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Jack Beckman                            9 John Force                   
E3                   0.086  5.658 132.02     ****WINNER****  0.075  4.125 305.56
 Prior rounds:
E2    (D Worsham   ) 0.092  4.183 304.32      (A Force Hood) 0.096  4.120 305.49
E1    (T Pedregon  ) 0.092  4.164 306.12      (B Bode      ) 0.079  4.132 308.07
 Qualified:             #7  4.101 310.91                        #3  4.066 310.41

Beckman is 10 - 5 against Force in prior events. It's been a long dry spell for the Force team and he finally gets to run for the money, as Beckman's Challenger smokes the tires at the 330 lights.

Force had a small lead at the green and both car's had identical 0.0915 sixty foot time. After Beckman's car slowed, Force thundered on down the track for an easy. He cards another four twelve to ensure lane choice over Capp's in the finals. Great looking run.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.345, 660ft-3.325/261.93 mph.

3:16 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink