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Sun, 5 Jun 2011, 01:38 PM

Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual NHRA SuperNationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Tim Wilkerson                          28 Ron Capps                    
E2                   0.100  5.016 154.67     ****WINNER****  0.070  4.132 303.37
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Pedregon  ) 0.106  4.093 306.81      (J Head      ) 0.088  4.116 306.53
 Qualified:             #3  4.094 306.33                        #6  4.108 305.15

1:23 p.m. -- Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 29.96 inches, adjusted altitude 1,717 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

Capps led this one from start to finish. Wilkerson lost any chance of getting the win when he shook the tires hard at 330 feet.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Jack Beckman                           71 Cruz Pedregon                
E2                   0.084  4.179 305.15     ****WINNER****  0.092  4.074 305.84
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Tasca III ) 0.095  4.112 308.57      (J Smith     ) 0.097  4.141 302.08
 Qualified:             #9  4.115 306.12                        #1  4.048 302.82

Pedregon had an 8-6 record against Beckman at prior events. Beckman was off the line first by 12 thousandths, but Pedregon's car went straight down the groove for the win,


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  507 Melanie Troxel                       2814 Matt Hagan                   
E2                   0.095  5.011 164.25     ****WINNER****  0.098  4.217 241.15
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Lee       ) 0.111  4.071 310.27      (J Force     ) 0.063  4.101 303.64
 Qualified:             #4  4.098 306.12                       #12  4.142 299.86

Hagan and Troxel have raced each other once before in Funny Car competition. That was in Houston last year and Hagan won that race. Troxel got out to about 330 feet and smoked the tires. She pedaled the car and tried to get the car hooked up to finish the run, but was not able to do so. Hagan got a little out of the groove but stayed with it to get the win. He'll face Cruz Pedregon in the next round and Pedregon will have lane choice.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7701 Mike Neff                              31 Johnny Gray                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.117  4.083 313.66                     0.085  4.149 304.87
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Arend     ) 0.100  4.079 311.77      (R Hight     ) 0.112  4.804 274.39
 Qualified:             #7  4.111 306.95                       #15  4.170 299.46

The only time these two raced each other before this was at Las Vegas last year. Gray won that race. Gray got off the line first and was ahead at 330 feet. By the time they reached 660 feet, Neff had overtaken Gray for the lead. After that, Neff pulled ahead for the win. He'll have lane choice over caps in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink