Sun, 2 Oct 2011, 12:02 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 27th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Tony Pedregon                          10 Tim Wilkerson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  4.164 293.03                     0.105  9.118  90.04
 Qualified:            #13  4.169 297.22                        #4  4.027 307.86

11:32 a.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 53 degrees, relative humidity 70 percent, barometer 29.20 inches, adjusted altitude 933 feet, track temperature 63 degrees.

Pedregon has won here three times before this race. Wilkerson won Funny car here in 2003.

Wilkerson launched and the rear tires went up in smoke right away. Pedregon started losing cylinders at the end of the run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  256 Blake Alexander                      2814 Matt Hagan                   
E1                   0.106  9.565  70.70     ****WINNER****  0.060  4.058 313.80
 Qualified:            #14  4.193 298.21                        #3  4.012 316.67

Hagan was runner up here last year. He first raced here in 2008 in a car tuned by Paul Smith. Alexander is making his first start here, also in a car tuned by Paul Smith.

Alexander shook the rear tires about 100 feet out and shut it down.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   31 Johnny Gray                           777 Leah Pruett                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.094  4.319 254.57                     0.093  6.662 143.61
 Qualified:             #1  4.010 318.62                       #16  4.644 212.43

Gray was the Pro Stock runner up here in 2009. He is the 91st different driver to take the top spot in the qualifying order in the history of this race.

Pruett spun and smoked the rear tires as soon as she launched. She pedaled it once, smoked the tires some more and clicked it off. Gray had a clean run to mid track when he shook the tires and the car started to go sideways. He backed off the throttle, straightened the car out, got back on the gas, shook the tires and pedaled it again for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                            302 Dale Creasy Jr.              
E1                   0.120 10.461  65.07     ****WINNER****  0.129  4.542 235.43
 Qualified:             #2  4.011 319.22                       #15  4.481 281.42

Force has six wins and seven runner up finishes, putting him in the final round of 13 of 26 national events held here this weekend prior to this race. Creasy beat Force in the first round here last year.

Both drivers launched and shook the tires coming out of the gate. Creasy did not shake as much, so he was able to pedal and get his car hooked up again. Force clicked it off early and the chutes came at mid track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Jack Beckman                            5 Bob Tasca III                
E1                   0.049  9.391  77.53     ****WINNER****  0.064  4.124 311.99
 Qualified:             #5  4.039 317.94                       #12  4.106 308.85

Beckman was the Funny Car winner here in 2008, Tasca in 2009. Tasca was runner up here twice in Top Alcohol Funny Car.

Beckman launched and shook the tires out of the gate. He pedaled once but could not get the car hooked up, so he clicked it off. Tasca drove through some tire shake for the win. He'll have lane choice over Tony Pedregon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                               8 Robert Hight                 
E1                   0.075  4.115 313.22     ****WINNER****  0.053  4.041 317.42
 Qualified:             #6  4.059 315.27                       #11  4.090 312.21

Hight was the 2006 winner here. Capps was runner up in 1999 and 2000.

Hight had the edge at the start and stayed in front the entire way down the track. He'll have lane choice over Hagan in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                         170 Jeff Arend                   
E1                   0.076  8.004  96.72     ****WINNER****  0.062  4.161 289.20
 Qualified:             #7  4.060 304.74                       #10  4.084 310.77

Pedregon won here in 1992 and 2010. Arend was the winner in 1996.

Pedregon shook the tires out of the gate and never had a chance. Arend started losing cylinders at the end of the track but he got the win and will have lane choice over Creasy in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  388 Jim Head                             7701 Mike Neff                    
E1                   0.096  4.109 310.70     ****WINNER****  0.087  4.078 313.66
 Qualified:             #9  4.077 305.01                        #8  4.066 316.45

Neff had this one from start to finish. Both drivers made good starts and took their cars down the groove. Neff will have lane choice over Gray in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink