Sun, 21 Sep 2014, 14:36 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   33 Tommy Johnson Jr.                       1 John Force                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.084  4.192 302.08                     0.083  4.532 205.38
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Pedregon  ) 0.070  4.775 169.91      (J Arend     ) 0.109  4.111 309.42
 Qualified:             #4  4.076 309.42                        #5  4.081 314.24

1:19 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.50 inches, adjusted altitude 3,452 feet, track temperature 134 degrees.

Force is 28 - 8 against Johnson Jr. in prior events.

They leave the line together then Johnson starts to pull away. Force starts making up ground just pas the sixty foot mark, then hazes the tires about 500 feet out. Johnson goes right down the groove and pulls away for the win. This will be the first race since Chicago earlier this year that John Force will not be in the final round.

Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.021), 330 ft(0.010), 660ft(0.072). MOV: 0.3396 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Tim Wilkerson                           2 Matt Hagan                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.097  4.209 295.59                     0.081  4.537 230.76
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Capps     ) 0.102  4.173 304.25      (B Tasca III ) 0.087  4.221 270.81
 Qualified:            #14  4.269 293.09                        #6  4.083 312.86

Hagan is 12 - 3 against Wilkerson in prior events.

Hagan gets the advantage off the line and extends his lead through the 330 foot mark. He has traction problems soon after and Wilkerson powers by and pulls away for the win.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.025), 330 ft(-0.027), 660ft(0.113). MOV: 0.3126 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Courtney Force                          5 Robert Hight                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.078  4.161 305.49                     0.080  4.214 300.80
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Pedregon  ) 0.102  4.173 305.56      (J Beckman   ) 0.091  4.501 271.57
 Qualified:             #1  4.039 314.90                        #9  4.088 312.13

Hight is 6 - 3 against Force in prior events.

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove. They leave the line together, Force starts inching ahead, then pulls away at the end of the run to take the win.

Courtney Force's incremental margins: 60ft(0.008), 330 ft(0.031), 660ft(0.041). MOV: 0.0554 seconds (approximately 24 feet).

Force will take on Johnson in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  771 Alexis DeJoria                        750 Del Worsham                  
E2                   0.112  4.340 248.93     ****WINNER****  0.102  4.272 288.03
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Diehl     ) 0.100  4.171 299.06      (C Head      ) 0.098  4.213 297.16
 Qualified:             #2  4.041 305.42                       #10  4.088 307.79

DeJoria and Worsham have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.

They leave the line together, stay dead even at the sixty foot mark and stay side-by-side for the first 600 feet. DeJoria loses a cylinder very late in the run, gets pushed to the left a little, then Worsham is able to pull away for the win.

Del Worsham's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.000), 330 ft(-0.009), 660ft(0.012). MOV: 0.0783 seconds (approximately 29 feet).

Wilkerson will have lane choice over Worsham in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink