Sun, 28 Apr 2013, 13:22 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 26th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Tim Wilkerson                         750 Del Worsham                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  4.267 303.30                     0.104  5.260 160.46
 Qualified:             #2  4.103 307.58                       #15  4.768 226.05

11:36 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 29.94 inches, adjusted altitude 2,074 feet, track temperature 110 degrees.

Wilkerson and Worsham have each won 16 times against the other in prior events. This is Tim Wilkerson's best start since Dallas of last year.

Wilkerson had a small edge at the green, then Worsham started hazing the tires and Wilkerson's edge turned into a big one.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Courtney Force                        771 Alexis DeJoria               
E1                   0.095  6.453 107.75     ****WINNER****  0.046  4.866 222.22
 Qualified:             #5  4.123 304.46                       #12  4.217 297.55

It was a pedaling contest, but DeJoria started backpedaling further down the track than Force and did a good job of it.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Cruz Pedregon                         121 Terry Haddock                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.098  5.367 236.63                     0.140  6.046 108.45
 Qualified:             #1  4.086 310.41                       #16  5.280 146.15

Pedregon is 2 - 0 against Haddock in prior events. Cruz Pedregon qualified #1 for the 52nd time in his career. He has won just three times in his last 23 starts from the number one spot.He has nine number one spots at this track and one win..He is 40-11 in round one when he is the top qualifier. This is the 12th time that Terry Haddock has been the #16 qualifier. He is 1-10 in round one in his previous starts from the 16th spot.

Pedregon left first, but also went into tire smoke first and Haddock grabbed a big early lead. But he, too, had to start pedaling and his burst panel let go, deploying the chutes, allowing Pedregon to drive back by for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Robert Hight                            6 Johnny Gray                  
E1                   0.103  5.167 212.36     ****WINNER****  0.096  5.147 235.72
 Qualified:             #3  4.117 309.56                       #14  4.544 227.65

Hight is 9 - 4 against Gray in prior events.

Another pedaling contest and Gray won this one, but it was close and Hight was closing fast at the stripe.

Johnny Gray's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.005), 330 ft(0.053), 660ft(0.0MOV18). : 0.0271 seconds (approximately 8 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Jack Beckman                           72 Tony Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.658 278.00                     0.037  5.446 146.64
 Qualified:             #4  4.117 304.39                       #13  4.322 252.47

Beckman is 12 - 5 against Pedregon in prior events.

Pedregon had a big holeshot, but lost traction almost immediately and Beckman took the lead, briefly. Then Pedregon got it hooked back up and Beckman started backpedaling and Pedregon retook the lead, leading past the 660-foot marker. There was a flash of flame at that point and Pedregon slowed, letting Beckman back by for the win.

Jack Beckman's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.008), 330 ft(-0.042), 660ft(-0.032). MOV: 0.7306 seconds (more than 100 feet). He will have lane choice against DeJoria in round two.

There's "stuff" in Pedregon's lane, starting near the 660-foot marker. That will cost him 10 points.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 John Force                            256 Blake Alexander              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.077  4.706 231.56                     0.101  5.228 244.87
 Qualified:             #7  4.151 305.42                       #10  4.189 296.83

This is the first time Force and Alexander have faced each other in eliminations. Alexander is the 134th different opponent Force has faced.

Alexander was up in smoke early in the run, Force was clean to about 660 feet, then hazed the tires. That cst him lane choice against Wilkerson in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Bob Tasca III                          10 Jeff Arend                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.099  5.005 238.34                     0.097  5.512 160.75
 Qualified:             #8  4.154 307.72                        #9  4.189 298.80

Tasca III is 4 - 2 against Arend in prior events.

They left together and started shaking the tires at about the same time. Both drivers got out of the throttle. Tasca got right back in, Arend hesitated, and that may have been the difference. Tasca will have lane choice against Cruz Pedregon in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                             28 Ron Capps                    
E1                   0.055 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.111  4.308 287.35
 Qualified:             #6  4.127 309.13                       #11  4.201 293.79

Capps is 11 - 6 against Hagan in prior events.

Hagan started hazing the tires and backpedaling early in the run, his car fishtailing violently, while Capps appeared to make a full pass without having to backpedal. Hagan's car clipped the finish line timing reflector, disqualifying his time, but the race was over way before that.

Capps will have lane choice against Gray in round two, facing a DSR teammate for the second round in a row.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink