Mon, 5 Sep 2011, 12:34 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations |
By David Gerard |
CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 57th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 10 Tim Wilkerson 2814 Matt Hagan E1 0.075 7.944 106.43 ****WINNER**** 0.088 4.066 308.14 Qualified: #13 4.138 302.96 #4 4.071 309.1311:48 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 29.09 inches, adjusted altitude 1,905 feet, track temperature 79 degrees.
Great races in round one of TF. Wilkerson and Hagan have each won 2 times against the other in prior events. Wilkerson won here in 2003.
After five great passes in qualifying, Wilkerson shakes and smokes the slicks right off the line and slows.
Terrific pass for Hagen. His best of the weekend to take the easy win.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.897 sec., 330ft-2.306, 660ft-3.275/265.33 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 348 Daniel Wilkerson 31 Johnny Gray E1 ****WINNER**** 0.125 4.124 303.03 0.100 7.782 78.53 Qualified: #6 4.090 307.37 #11 4.124 308.85This is the first time Wilkerson and Gray have faced each other in eliminations. Both drivers ran career best times in qualifying. Gray was runner-up here in 2003.
Well, that was weird. Gray's chute comes out right off the line and puts his Countdown hopes to rest. Wilkerson makes a strong pass in the left lane. He still has power!
Daniel Wilkerson's incremental times:
60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.325/263.36 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 340 Bob Bode 507 Melanie Troxel E1 0.100 7.225 105.23 ****WINNER**** 0.081 4.428 215.17 Qualified: #15 4.185 295.79 #2 4.068 313.73Troxel is 1 - 0 against Bode in prior events. Troxel ran a career best speed in qualifying.
Troxel gets off the line first and is on another great looking pass until just before the top end lights. The tires start to smoke and that drives the car hard towards the centerline. She gets it back in the lane just enough to stay off the stripe.
Bode's chances were over quickly, as the tires are smoking hard right after the sixty foot lights.
Melanie Troxel's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.332,
660ft-3.375/220.44 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 170 Jeff Arend 71 Cruz Pedregon E1 ****WINNER**** 0.057 4.139 309.63 0.118 4.127 291.13 Qualified: #16 4.195 299.60 #1 4.026 314.24Pedregon is 9 - 4 against Arend in prior events. Pedregon is a three time winner and making his first start from the number one position.
Ouch! Arend gets a big starting line advantage and holds Pedregon's Solara off all the way down the track for a hole shot win. Both cars are clean down the track.
Jeff Arend's incremental margins: 60ft(0.038), 330 ft(0.015), 660ft(0.016). MOV: 0.0498 seconds (approximately 21 feet).
Jeff Arend's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.375, 660ft-3.351/265.01
mph.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.912 sec., 330ft-2.329, 660ft-3.306/259.76 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 388 Jim Head 28 Ron Capps E1 0.095 4.227 300.80 ****WINNER**** 0.085 4.118 309.20 Qualified: #14 4.147 305.63 #3 4.069 314.31Capps is 10 - 3 against Head in prior events. Head won Funny Car here in 1984 and Top Fuel in 1997.
Capps gets a small lead off the line and is able to steadily pull ahead all the way to the finish line and a big win. He'll have lane choice over Daniel Wilkerson in the next round.
Heads incrementals weren't strong enough low to keep the pace.
Ron Capps' incremental margins: 60ft(0.021), 330 ft(0.066), 660ft(0.093). MOV: 0.1194 seconds (approximately 53 feet).
Jim Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.398, 660ft-3.410/254.09 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.918
sec., 330ft-2.342, 660ft-3.327/262.54 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 116 Paul Lee 4 Jack Beckman E1 0.074 4.164 293.60 ****WINNER**** 0.093 4.066 315.19 Qualified: #12 4.136 296.63 #5 4.082 312.93Beckman is 3 - 0 against Lee in prior events. He was runner-up in 2008.
Lee has had a great weekend and runs another strong pass, but it's just no enough against a charging Beckman. He gets off the line first, but Beckman is quickly around him and stretches out the lead.
Beckman's ET matches his team mate, Hagan to the thousandth, but a huge 315.19 speed gives him lane choice, a career best, and the new track record.
Jack Beckman's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.015), 330 ft(0.031), 660ft(0.042). MOV: 0.0795 seconds (approximately 34 feet).
Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.938 sec., 330ft-2.374,
660ft-3.349/261.27 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.324, 660ft-3.288/267.75 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 John Force 5 Bob Tasca III
E1 0.065 11.698 46.40 ****WINNER**** 0.063 4.162 302.75
Qualified: #7 4.097 313.15 #10 4.120 309.06
Force is 6 - 5 against Tasca III in prior events. Force is a four time winner and runner-up three times. Tasca has been
runner-up here in TAFC twice.Force only made one good pass in qualifying and he is up in smoke before the 330 lights.
Tasca has clinched the tenth spot in the Countdown and has a small 0.002 advantage off the line. The Quick Lane Mustang powers on down the track with ease and will take lane choice over Troxel in round two.
Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec.,
330ft-2.372, 660ft-3.359/262.49 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 7701 Mike Neff 8 Robert Hight E1 ****WINNER**** 0.093 4.086 312.78 0.071 4.210 295.85 Qualified: #9 4.118 309.63 #8 4.098 312.06Hight is 5 - 4 against Neff in prior events. Hight has won here two times and been runner up two times. The Boss just lost, so only one team car will go on to round two.
Hight is away first and pulling, but Neff's tune up takes over before the 330 lights and the Ford - Drive One Mustang goes on by and pulls ahead all the way to the finish line. Hight's engine was mixing the cylinders up down track and he can't close the deal.
Neff will have lane choice over Arend in the next round.
Mike Neff's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.025), 330 ft(0.011), 660ft(0.060). MOV: 0.1023 seconds (approximately 44 feet).
Mike Neff's
incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.338, 660ft-3.305/266.79 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.907 sec.,
330ft-2.371, 660ft-3.387/252.99 mph.
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