Sun, 13 Nov 2011, 15:01 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                             31 Johnny Gray                  
E1                   0.071  4.271 290.94     ****WINNER****  0.104  4.090 313.00
 Qualified:            #11  4.131 308.21                        #6  4.107 308.28

11:28 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 28.81 inches, adjusted altitude 2,559 feet, track temperature 86 degrees.

Force is 10 - 4 against Gray in prior events.

Force's 2011 Countdown record is now perfect - six events, no round wins. On the other hand, Gray is on a hot streak and he showed why here, with his best run of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Bob Tasca III                          71 Cruz Pedregon                
E1                   0.058  4.199 308.07     ****WINNER****  0.066  4.141 313.29
 Qualified:            #12  4.138 306.33                        #5  4.087 307.79

Pedregon is 8 - 2 against Tasca III in prior events.

This was a good drag race, Tasca first off the line, Pedregon with the quicker car after that.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.014), 330 ft(0.034), 660ft(0.041). MOV: 0.0501 seconds (approximately 23 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Tony Pedregon                         507 Melanie Troxel               
E1                   0.044  5.022 162.65     ****WINNER****  0.066  4.151 303.64
 Qualified:            #13  4.150 304.94                        #4  4.087 309.70

Pedregon is 4 - 1 against Troxel in prior events.

Both drivers got into the field on their final qualifying attempt, Pedregon one of the few getting a fourth qualifying attempt yesterday.

pedregon left first, but Troxel led after 60 feet and pulled away when Pedregon lost traction a couple hundred feet out. Troxel will face the other Pedregon brother, Cruz, in the second round and he will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  782 Gary Densham                            8 Robert Hight                 
E1                   0.105  4.269 266.48     ****WINNER****  0.085  4.149 309.13
 Qualified:            #15  4.163 301.94                        #2  4.084 312.13

Hight is 10 - 0 against Densham in prior events.

Densham's car was all over the lane on the top end, making a hard right turn and trailing a lot of smoke when he crossed the line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  702 Jon Capps                            2814 Matt Hagan                   
E1                   0.022  4.602 236.22     ****WINNER****  0.045  4.092 309.77
 Qualified:            #16  4.165 298.01                        #1  4.033 315.27

This is the first time Capps and Hagan have faced each other in eliminations. This is Capps' fourth start in nine races.

Hagan's car came through the gate very late, but got to the water in plenty of time.

Ron's brother did his best, with a great light, but his car was out of the groove and got very close to the wall, forcing him to lift. Hagan was on time, with a good light, then ran the second-quickest ET so far. That knocks Ron Capps out of the championship chase.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7701 Mike Neff                             771 Alexis DeJoria               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.083  4.150 311.27                    -0.077  4.386 218.58
 Qualified:             #3  4.087 313.44                       #14  4.158 306.88

This is DeJoria's third start in four races, her Funny Car career starting in Dallas this year. This is the first time Neff and DeJoria have faced each other in eliminations.

DeJoria left early and Neff keeps his title hopes alive with a clean, straight run. However, he lost lane choice to Gray for round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             170 Jeff Arend                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.072  4.110 311.13                     0.072  4.140 299.20
 Qualified:            #10  4.124 301.94                        #7  4.111 308.92

Capps is 7 - 5 against Arend in prior events and just saw his title hopes for this year come to an end. However, he can set up a pair of DSR vs JFR pairings for round 2 by defeating Arend here - Johnny Gray will race Mike Neff and the winner here faces Robert Hight.

This was a great drag race, dead-even at the start and locked together all the way down the track.

Ron Capps' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.005), 330 ft(0.017), 660ft(0.016). MOV: 0.0303 seconds (approximately 13 feet).

Capps will have lane choice against Hight in round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Tim Wilkerson                           4 Jack Beckman                 
E1                   0.091  7.012  92.23     ****WINNER****  0.055  4.522 280.84
 Qualified:             #9  4.122 304.46                        #8  4.113 313.58

Wilkerson is 8 - 7 against Beckman in prior events.

Both cars came off the line hard, then both lost traction at almost the same time, both cars fishtailing as the tires smoked. Beckman's car reacted less violently than Wilkerson's and Beckman reined it in nicely and continued, while Wilkerson battled to stay in his own lane and had to lift. Beckman faces teammate (and points-leader) Hagan in round 2, Hagan has lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink