Sun, 18 Apr 2010, 05:12 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Bob Orme

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Jay Payne                              63 Clint Thompson               
E3   ****WINNER****  0.093  5.697 254.66                     0.051  5.817 251.91
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Lombardo J) 0.058  5.683 254.04      (S Gasparrell) 0.054  5.688 254.62
E1    (L Miner     ) 0.083  5.726 251.20      (K Ray       ) 0.090  5.662 254.95
 Qualified:             #3  5.680 254.23                        #2  5.679 255.92

2:03 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 15 percent, barometer 27.74 inches, adjusted altitude 4,683 feet, track temperature 129 degrees.

Payne is 6 - 1 against Thompson in prior events. Payne is 36-29 in final round appearances. His last national event win was at Sonoma in 2008.

Both drivers had a hard time keeping their cars in the groove and Payne moves on to the final round.

Jay Payne's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.048), 330 ft(-0.009), 660ft(0.048), 1,000ft(0.067). MOV: 0.0786 seconds (approximately 29 feet).

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.541, 660ft-3.768/202.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.813.
Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.574, 660ft-3.858/195.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.922.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   78 Daniel Oliver                           3 Sean O'Bannon                
E3                  -0.012  9.135  90.60     ****WINNER****  0.050  6.194 247.20
 Prior rounds:
E2    (B Thiel     ) 0.051  5.669 254.23      (T Bartone   ) 0.039  5.674 254.95
E1    (R August Jr ) 0.094  5.663 253.66      (R Atchison  ) 0.091  5.670 255.00
 Qualified:             #1  5.663 252.33                        #5  5.696 255.43

O'Bannon is 2 - 0 against Oliver in prior events, last beating him in the semi's at Pomona this year. Oliver left early and he has to be kicking himself for it. O'Bannon would have been easy pickings here. O'Bannon was very loose off the line and then he couldn't keep the car in the groove, but he moves on to give lane choice to Payne in the final round.

Sean O'Bannon's incremental times: 60ft-1.042 sec., 330ft-2.903, 660ft-4.217/192.80 mph, 1,000ft-5.292.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink