Sun, 19 Sep 2010, 01:26 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Third annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Ashley Force Hood                       7 Del Worsham                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.125  5.301 175.32                     0.083  7.486 119.08
 Qualified:            #11  4.151 301.27                        #6  4.123 306.67

Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 49 percent, barometer 29.49 inches, adjusted altitude 2,685 feet, track temperature 114 degrees.

Force Hood is 12 - 5 against Worsham in prior events. Worsham with the better reaction time, but was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. He pedaled it and was back up in smoke and couldn't get it to recover. Force Hood smoked the tires a little farther down track and she pedaled it at least two times, and then blew up but had enough to get to the finish line first.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  388 Jim Head                              170 Jeff Arend                   
E1                   0.084  5.579 131.14     ****WINNER****  0.073  4.180 304.67
 Qualified:            #13  4.154 303.78                        #4  4.115 306.95

Arend is 2 - 1 against Head in prior events. Head started to lose traction early and got real loose before he clicked it off. Arend launched hard and keep it hooked up to go straight down the groove for the win. Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.372, 660ft-3.375/258.67 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  340 Bob Bode                                8 Bob Tasca III                
E1                   0.084  4.805 242.89     ****WINNER****  0.068  4.221 301.40
 Qualified:            #14  4.164 297.16                        #3  4.109 304.39

Bode and Tasca III have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. Tasca III with the starting line advantage and never trailed as Bode started to lose traction on the top end before he clicked it off. Tasca III will have lane choice over Force Hood in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  241 John Smith                             71 Cruz Pedregon                
E1                   0.115  5.162 149.22     ****WINNER****  0.078  4.161 298.27
 Qualified:            #16  4.225 296.24                        #1  4.078 303.57

This is the first time Smith and Pedregon have faced each other in eliminations. Smith started to smoke the tires and clicked it off...Pedregon continues to have the best car on the property. He runs the quickest pass of the round so far from the number one spot. Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.345, 660ft-3.346/257.24 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  116 Paul Lee                                9 John Force                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.068  4.605 225.71                     0.092  5.110 180.81
 Qualified:            #15  4.190 302.75                        #2  4.081 305.15

Force is 3 - 0 against Lee in prior events. Lee is out of the gate first is dropping cylinders on the top end, but holds on for the win. Force was up in smoke around 660 feet and pedals it, but can't get it to recover.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Robert Hight                         2814 Matt Hagan                   
E1                   0.060  9.966  82.74     ****WINNER****  0.046  4.486 266.64
 Qualified:            #12  4.154 305.56                        #5  4.115 299.40

Hight is 4 - 2 against Hagan in prior events. Hagan with the starting line advantage and started to haze the tires and had a quick pedal job to take the win light. Hight with problems as soon as he hit the throttle. Hagan will give up lane choice to Arend in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                               5 Jack Beckman                 
E1                  -0.075  4.924 198.15     ****WINNER****  0.073  4.232 302.01
 Qualified:            #10  4.149 288.27                        #7  4.123 305.36

Capps is 9 - 7 against Beckman in prior events. Capps leaves too early and turns on the red light. Beckman with a real nice clean pass to take the easy win and will have lane choice over Lee in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  507 Melanie Troxel                          6 Tony Pedregon                
E1                   0.109  4.334 283.13     ****WINNER****  0.063  4.318 275.73
 Qualified:             #9  4.132 306.26                        #8  4.131 304.80

Pedregon is 3 - 1 against Troxel in prior events. Pedregon with the starting line advantage and increased his lead at every incremental for the win light. Tony Pedregon's MOV: 0.0622 seconds (approximately 26 feet). Tony will give up lane choice to his brother in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink