Sun, 20 Jun 2010, 02:52 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                              9 John Force                   
E2                   0.056  4.356 274.83     ****WINNER****  0.055  4.290 291.19
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Arend     ) 0.045  4.270 285.17      (P Lee       ) 0.083  4.246 293.98
 Qualified:             #3  4.185 292.58                        #6  4.216 297.55

2:35 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 28.51 inches, adjusted altitude 4,194 feet, track temperature 137 degrees.

Force is 3 - 0 against Hagan in prior events, 2 - 0 this year.

These two leave the line together and stay that way for the first half of the run. Hagan moved around a little at half-track and that was enough for Force to pull away and take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Del Worsham                             5 Jack Beckman                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.530 266.74                     0.064  5.120 208.17
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Hight     ) 0.054  4.256 291.63      (J Head      ) 0.082  4.243 285.47
 Qualified:             #4  4.186 300.80                        #5  4.199 297.35

Beckman is 10 - 2 against Worsham in prior events, 1 - 1 this year.

Beckman gets the big hole-shot and stays ahead past the sixty foot mark. They both strike the tires about 200 feet out, both pedal, Worsham does a great job of pedaling and recovers quickly. Beckman pedals a couple of times then but continues to smoke the tires.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Tony Pedregon                           8 Bob Tasca III                
E2                   0.074  5.712 127.04     ****WINNER****  0.051  4.336 280.60
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Pedregon  ) 0.114  4.289 257.78      (R Capps     ) 0.080  4.236 292.65
 Qualified:            #15  4.442 243.90                        #7  4.228 289.07

Tasca III is 5 - 2 against Pedregon in prior events, 1 - 0 this year.

Tasca gets off the line first and starts pulling away. Pedregon gets about 300 feet out, smokes the tires and pedals. He can't recover and tasca pulls away for the win.

Tasca will give up lane choice to John Force in the third round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Ashley Force Hood                       4 Tim Wilkerson                
E2                   0.115  4.329 279.67     ****WINNER****  0.083  4.313 281.71
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Diehl     ) 0.103  4.279 290.82      (M Troxel    ) 0.089  4.233 295.46
 Qualified:             #1  4.151 296.70                        #8  4.238 283.67

Force Hood and Wilkerson have each won 6 times against the other in prior events, 2 - 0 this year.

Wilkerson gets off the line first and increases his lead for the first 330 feet. Force-Hood starts to make up ground but just doens't have enough room. The string continues, no number one qualifier in this class has ever won.

In the next round it will be Wilkerson vs. Worsham and Force vs. Tasca.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink