Sun, 19 Sep 2010, 02:22 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol 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
   37 John Bojec                                 Bye
E2   ****WINNER****  0.103  6.253 160.90     
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Naves     ) 0.097  6.322 247.52   
 Qualified:             #2  5.604 259.36                     Bye

1:56 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 41 percent, barometer 29.46 inches, adjusted altitude 3,093 feet, track temperature 124 degrees.

Bojec ran the car to half track, then shut it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   63 Clint Thompson                        572 Brent Henry                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.125  5.585 258.71                     0.023  5.883 197.10
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Bogolo    ) 0.128  5.598 257.97      (C Simonton  ) 0.033  5.767 252.80
 Qualified:             #3  5.610 258.22                        #6  5.674 257.09

This is the first time Thompson and Henry have faced each other in eliminations.

Henry had a great light and led all the past the 1,000-foot marker, then the burst panel in the hood of his car went sailing high in the air and he slowed. Clint Thompson's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.085), 330 ft(-0.074), 660ft(-0.060), 1,000ft(-0.009). MOV: 0.1967 seconds (approximately 57 feet). Thompson was running him down rapidly anyway, but the blown burst panel made it easier. Thompson has lane choice against Bojec in the semifinals.

Henry's mini-boomer left the track dry, just a couple swipes with the tractor took care of any aftereffects, but then the starting line crww cleaned something up in Thompson's lane, out to about 200 feet.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  303 Todd Veney                             23 Mark Billington              
E2                         No Time           ****WINNER****  1.131 No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Green-king) 0.069  5.755 244.29      (T Carter    ) 0.085  5.669 253.14
 Qualified:             #4  5.634 254.57                        #5  5.668 255.10

This is the first time Veney and Billington have faced each other in eliminations at a national event.

Well, maybe next time. Veney's car stopped at the end of the burnout. Billington took the green, idled to the 330-foot mark, then he stopped. That makes him the winner.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   62 Ken Webster                             1 Frank Manzo                  
E2                   0.022  5.760 227.19     ****WINNER****  0.048  5.567 262.18
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Anderika  ) 0.079  5.675 251.86                     0.059 10.663  82.90
 Qualified:             #8  5.682 252.80                        #1  5.579 260.36

This is also the first time Webster and Manzo have faced each other in eliminations.

Manzo was oh-for-two yesterday, but that was on runs that did not matter since he was safely qualified #1 and had a first-round bye, so he may have been in "test mode." Today, he was back to form, with a good light and his quickest run of the weekend. Webster did his job, with an excellent light and a good run past half track, but he lifted when it was clear that Manzo was long gone. Manzo has lane choice against Billington in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink