Sun, 30 Oct 2011, 04:30 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Big O Tires NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Steve Gasparrelli                       4 Tony Bartone                 
E2                   0.041  5.977 196.02     ****WINNER****  0.052  5.582 259.51
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Gordon    ) 0.058  5.691 255.58      (K Ray       ) 0.085  5.558 261.37
 Qualified:             #9  5.719 254.90                        #1  5.560 260.51

1:18 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 18 percent, barometer 28.00 inches, adjusted altitude 3,745 feet, track temperature 103 degrees.

Bartone goes around Gasparrelli before they reach the sixty foot mark and goes right down the middle of the track to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   63 Jeff Ashwell                          147 Fred Tigges                  
E2                  -0.010  6.503 162.33     ****WINNER****  0.055  9.098 100.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Bateman   ) 0.129  5.903 241.71      (J Pawlick   ) 0.063  6.218 205.51
 Qualified:            #12  5.947 242.41                        #4  5.668 252.95

Ashwell leaves a little too soon and gives Tigges the win. Tigges rattled the tires early, pedaled, then got out of the groove around half-track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  744 Shane Westerfield                    6352 John Evanchuk                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.043  5.715 253.52                     0.072  5.806 243.11
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Hool      ) 0.064  5.674 255.29      (P Gill      ) 0.078 11.036  79.42
 Qualified:            #11  5.772 251.86                       #14  6.230 220.33

Neither of these drivers have ever advanced to a semi-final at a national event so whoever wins will be breaking new ground.

This is the first time Westerfield and Evanchuk have faced each other in eliminations.

Westerfield gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. Evanchuk was on a decent run but had problems just before the lights and had to back off the throttle.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Clint Thompson                          3 Jay Payne                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.094  5.644 257.73                     0.082  5.662 256.41
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Lombardo J) 0.075  5.647 258.81      (S Bellemeur ) 0.101  5.627 257.43
 Qualified:            #15 11.757  99.21                        #7  5.685 256.26

Payne is 8 - 1 against Thompson in prior events.

Payne gets off the line first, stays out in front to the 1000 foot mark, then Thompson goes around and pulls away for the win.

In the next round it will be Bartone with lane choice over Tigges and Thompson vs. Westerfield.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink