Sun, 17 Mar 2013, 13:57 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Michael L. Jex

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Johnny Gray                           771 Alexis DeJoria               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.069  4.080 312.28                     0.068  4.127 307.16
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Arend     ) 0.070  4.038 311.56      (B Alexander ) 0.120  4.085 308.14
 Qualified:             #2  4.071 313.22                       #10  4.121 306.53

1:52 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 29.88 inches, adjusted altitude 1,671 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Gray is 1 - 0 against DeJoria in prior events. Gray ran low ET of round one, a best of the weekend 4.03. DeJoria's career best is a 4.032...

DeJoria was visible out Gray's window till the top end, then Gray pulled away to win by a car length.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Robert Hight                            4 Cruz Pedregon                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.079 No Time                           0.092  4.077 308.71
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Pedregon  ) 0.088  4.070 313.29      (P Lee       ) 0.092  4.041 311.99
 Qualified:             #8  4.117 308.21                        #1  4.047 296.05

Hight is 14 - 11 against Pedregon in prior events.

Hight crossed the stripe first, but we're still waiting for an official time - the 2 second something that came up on the scoreboard, was not quite right... Hight was fast, faster than Pedregon's 4.07, but not that fast...

Word comes there was a spider web in the left lane sensors, which resulted in the timing malfunction. Video clearly shows Hight is the winner.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                              1 Jack Beckman                 
E2                   0.070  4.130 306.67     ****WINNER****  0.101  4.094 309.91
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Tasca III ) 0.067  4.091 308.00      (R Capps     ) 0.099  4.121 301.13
 Qualified:             #3  4.084 308.99                       #11  4.122 302.55

Beckman trailed off the line, and didn't catch Hagan till the top end - Jack Beckman's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.034), 330 ft(-0.016), 660ft(-0.004). MOV: 0.0053 seconds (approximately 2 feet). Beckman will race Johnny Gray in the next round, and Gray will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Courtney Force                        750 Del Worsham                  
E2                   0.073  4.135 310.63     ****WINNER****  0.069  4.122 306.53
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Force     ) 0.075  4.092 314.83      (T Wilkerson ) 0.090  4.689 253.04
 Qualified:            #13  4.132 309.98                        #5  4.105 305.49

Great drag race!! Del Worsham's MOV: 0.0179 seconds (approximately 8 feet). Worsham will have lane choice against Hight in the next round. 2:05 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink