Sun, 28 Sep 2014, 15:09 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

MADISON, Ill. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Third annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Matt Hagan                            170 Jeff Arend                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.081  4.139 307.44                     0.092 11.966  63.61
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A DeJoria   ) 0.057  4.158 299.06      (C Pedregon  ) 0.081  4.500 231.79
 Qualified:             #7  4.071 315.49                       #15  4.169 304.67

1:56 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.65 inches, adjusted altitude 2,743 feet, track temperature 113 degrees.

Hagan is 18 - 7 against Arend in prior events.

Hagan is second in the points, 62 behind John Force but only eight ahead of Courtney Force.

Arend hits the throttle, goes up in smoke and is off the throttle before he gets 100 feet out. Hagan went right down the groove to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3111 Chad Head                              33 Tommy Johnson Jr.            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.155  4.155 308.21                           No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Hight     ) 0.057  4.121 305.98      (T Wilkerson ) 0.083  4.128 307.51
 Qualified:            #14  4.168 292.27                        #6  4.053 315.78

Johnson Jr. is 1 - 0 against Head in prior events.

Johnson is sixth in the points and is just two points behind Capps who will race later in this session so he needs this win to keep pace.

Johnson completes his burnout and is not able to get the car to back up. he has to continue down track and will not get to make a pass.

Head goes right down the groove with a clean pass and moves on to the next round where he will give up lane choice to Hagan.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Courtney Force                        750 Del Worsham                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.154 311.13                     0.087 10.873  70.40
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Tasca III ) 0.090  4.101 314.31      (J Diehl     ) 0.116  4.123 305.29
 Qualified:             #4  4.047 317.87                        #5  4.049 314.75

Force came into this round just eight points behind hagan, who has already advanced, and needs this win to keep pace.

Worsham is eighth in the points, just three behind DeJoria who has already been eliminated.

Worsham is 8 - 4 against Force in prior events.

Worsham hits the throttle and goes up in smoke before he moves ten feet. Force goes right down the groove and moves on to the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Force                             28 Ron Capps                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.078  4.111 312.50                     0.063  4.166 308.92
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Stewart   ) 0.097  4.103 312.35      (J Beckman   ) 0.073  4.122 308.50
 Qualified:             #1  4.022 319.52                        #8  4.071 313.00

Force is 49 - 27 against Capps in prior events.

Force is the points leader, Capps is in the fifth spot.

Capps is out of the gate first and is able to avoid the traction problems everyone else has been having. He stays in front to the 330 foot mark where Force pulls even, then Force starts pulling away and stays in front for the win.

John Force's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.019), 330 ft(0.000), 660ft(0.025). MOV: 0.0406 seconds (approximately 18 feet).

John Force will have lane choice over Courtney in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink