Sun, 26 Feb 2012, 16:58 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division, event at Firebird International Raceway:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6515 Brian Hough                             6 John Lombardo Jr.            
E2                   0.086  5.787 245.72     ****WINNER****  0.094  5.654 256.02
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Westerfiel) 0.091  5.941 252.00      (M Woznichak ) 0.082  5.645 255.15
 Qualified:             #3  5.622 255.97                        #2  5.615 250.09

2:51 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 13 percent, barometer 28.13 inches, adjusted altitude 3,365 feet, track temperature 110 degrees.

After a wacky TAD round, let's hope for some good racing here! Hough gets a small advantage off the line, but the car starts to move around a bunch going down the track and gets finally gets too far out of shape and has to lift. Lombardo powers on by and makes a strong pass into the final roun.

Hough may have injured the engine too.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.026), 330 ft(-0.016), 660ft(0.042), 1,000ft(0.087). MOV: 0.1254 seconds (approximately 45 feet).

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.521, 660ft-3.792/196.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.870.
John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.529, 660ft-3.742/204.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.775.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   73 Doug Gordon                             3 Jay Payne                    
E2                   0.063  5.708 254.86     ****WINNER****  0.079  5.641 258.27
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Marie Whit) 0.017  5.699 253.61      (S Griboski  ) 0.110  5.612 258.96
 Qualified:             #5  5.688 255.10                        #1  5.615 260.11

Gordon gets away first and wins the first half of the race. Payne's Mustang drives on by, as Gordon is using a lot of track at that point. It's all Ford at that point and Payne wins the race and lane choice in the final round.

Jay Payne's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.023), 330 ft(-0.002), 660ft(0.021), 1,000ft(0.038). MOV: 0.0514 seconds (approximately 19 feet). Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.537, 660ft-3.773/200.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.821.
Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.523, 660ft-3.736/204.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.767.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink