Mon, 07 Sep 2015, 12:26 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations |
By David Gerard |
BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 61st annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 340 Bob Bode 711 Jack Beckman E1 0.093 5.022 157.65 ****WINNER**** 0.088 4.047 302.55 Qualified: #16 4.736 178.10 #1 3.936 323.7411:44 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 29.16 inches, adjusted altitude 3,487 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.
Beckman is 6 - 2 against Bode in prior events. Jack Beckman has been runner-up here twice, in 2008 & 2013, and both times he lost to Robert Hight. This is the 15th #1 spot for Jack and his fourth in the last four races. The top Funny Car qualifier has won here just twice in the last 21 years. Jack has a 66% win/loss ratio in round one match ups and a six to one advantage over Bode.This is the 17th time that Bob Bode has qualified 16th he has won just one round when starting from the last spot in the field.
There is a quick lane switch for these two behind the line before starting.
Beckman is away first and pulls steadily ahead right on down the track. Bode's car slows right before the 660 lights.
Jack Beckman's incremental margins: 60ft(0.068), 330 ft(0.135), 660ft(0.379). MOV: 0.9808 seconds (more than 100 feet).
Bob Bode's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.415, 660ft-3.625/178.52 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.884
sec., 330ft-2.285, 660ft-3.251/268.38 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 303 John Bojec 5 Robert Hight E1 0.088 4.384 285.41 ****WINNER**** 0.106 4.078 315.78 Qualified: #15 4.211 297.55 #2 3.971 322.96Robert Hight won here in 2006, 2008 & 2013..This is just the 3rd start for John Bojec in the Funny Car class. He is the 48th different driver to race Robert Hight. He has a 65% win advantage in round one pairings. These two have never met in round one.
Bojec is off the line first and then drops a cylinder off the line. Hight is out in front by the 60 foot lights and pulls steadily ahead to the lights for the easy win.
Robert Hight's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.066), 330 ft(0.157), 660ft(0.219). MOV: 0.2887 seconds (more than 100 feet).
John Bojec's incremental times: 60ft-0.989 sec., 330ft-2.506,
660ft-3.540/247.97 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.331, 660ft-3.303/267.69 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Tommy Johnson Jr. 496 John Hale
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.081 4.054 312.42 0.129 4.777 177.32
Qualified: #3 3.976 318.32 #14 4.196 306.88
Johnson Jr. is 1 - 0 against Hale in prior events. This is the 21st Indy race for Tommy Johnson, with 9 of them coming in the
Top Fuel class. He was runner-up here in Funny Car in 2002. He has won just over 50% of his first round races...John Hale is making
his first Indy start. His car owner, Jim Dunn, was part of the Top Fuel field here in 1965. Johnson gets a big starting line advantage and is steadily pulling ahead until the 660 lights. Hale's Charger spins the tires at that point and he is done.
Tommy
Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.326, 660ft-3.279/271.19 mph.
John Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.945
sec., 330ft-2.408, 660ft-3.530/199.23 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 3111 Chad Head 750 Del Worsham E1 0.080 6.626 83.41 ****WINNER**** 0.046 4.345 237.46 Qualified: #13 4.157 300.20 #4 3.978 322.11Worsham is 8 - 4 against Head in prior events. Del Worsham won FC here in 2005. He has started from the top half of the field in eight of the last ten years..This is just the third Indy start for Chad Head whose father is one of only 4 drivers to have won Indy in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Worsham has almost a 60% win/loss advantage in round one matchups and has over a 66% advantage over Head.
Wild race! Head moves off the line well and then strikes the tires. He tries to pedal and the blower goes bang and dumps the chutes.
Worsham looked to be on an easy win until right after the 660 lights. The car gets loose and starts to make big moves on the track. It heads towards the finish line lights and Worsham gets the Camry away in time.
Del Worsham's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.330, 660ft-3.370/226.24 mph.
11:53 p.m. Fire bottle clean up on the track. No oil!
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 72 Tony Pedregon 9 Tim Wilkerson E1 0.086 4.511 198.88 ****WINNER**** 0.099 4.270 259.91 Qualified: #12 4.152 293.28 #5 3.998 319.7512:04 p.m. Back to eliminations. Pedregon is 23 - 21 against Wilkerson in prior events. Tim Wilkerson won Indy in 2003..This is Tony Pedregon's 22nd Indy race. He was runner-up here in 2001. Wilkerson has a narrow 52% win/loss advantage in round one matchups and Pedregon has a 10/9 win advantage against him in round one.
Pedregon gets a small starting line advantage, but Wilkerson is out in front before the 60 foot lights. He pulls steadily ahead and the both engines aren't happy near the lights.
He will have
lane choice over Worsham in round two.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
4 Courtney Force 771 Alexis DeJoria
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.075 4.064 316.67 0.079 4.085 307.02
Qualified: #11 4.113 314.09 #6 4.000 314.97
Force and DeJoria have each won 6 times against the other in prior events. Alexis DeJoria is the defending event champion...This
match is huge for both drivers who are currently 10th (Alexis) and 11th (Courtney) in the points. The two have raced each other 12
times and each driver has won 6 times. DeJoria has under a 40% win advantage in round one match ups and has a five to four advantage
over Force in round one. Force has won over 50% of round one races.Force is still in the game. She gets a narrow 0.004 advantage and then has DeJoria back in front at the sixty foot lights. She chases and just gets out in front at the 660 lights. She pulls ahead for the close win.
She gives up lane choice to Johnson next round and has to go to the final round to stay in the Championship.
Courtney Force's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.005), 330 ft(-0.010), 660ft(0.003). MOV: 0.0257 seconds (approximately 12 feet).
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.908 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.292/269.46
mph.
Alexis DeJoria's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.314, 660ft-3.291/264.13 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 John Force 71 Cruz Pedregon
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.056 4.079 316.15 0.086 4.088 307.72
Qualified: #10 4.090 309.49 #7 4.017 305.91
Force is 66 - 32 against Pedregon in prior events. John Force has 4 wins here and that is the most by any active Funny Car
driver. This is John's 36th trip to Indy. His first was in 1979 when he failed to make the field. He has over a75% win advantage in
round one races... Cruz Pedregon won here three times but not since 1995..This is the 99th time that John and Cruz have raced each
other and that is the most head-to-head match-ups between any two racers in the pro classes. Force has won over 60% of their first
round races.Force gets a small starting line advantage and runs well. Pedregon gets close at the 330 lights and then Force pulls steadily ahead for the close win. He gives up lane choice to Height by 0.001.
John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec.,
330ft-2.341, 660ft-3.306/268.38 mph.
Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.319, 660ft-3.294/263.05
mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Matt Hagan 28 Ron Capps
E1 0.085 4.528 237.34 ****WINNER**** 0.076 4.490 211.63
Qualified: #8 4.023 315.49 #9 4.033 317.34
Capps is 21 - 12 against Hagan in prior events. This is the 20th U.S. Nationals for Ron Capps and, as hard as it is to believe,
he is still looking for his first final round here. Overall, he is 14 - 19 here. At eleven of those races he failed to get out of
the first round..Matt Hagan is 12-21 against his teammate, and those 21 losses are the most for him against any driver he has raced.
Capps has a 75% win advantage in round one matchups.Another wild race. Capps gets off the line first and they are dead even at the 60 foot lights. Capps just gets back out in front at the 330 lights and both cars are smoking the tires. They both pump and pedal with the tires smoking. Near the 660 light's, Hagan's Charger has a big fireball underneath, but he stay with it. Both cars are heading towards the centerline and Capps finally gets to the finishline first.
Beckman will have lane choice in the next round.
Ron Capps' incremental margins: 60ft(0.000), 330 ft(0.011), 660ft(0.068). MOV: 0.0475 seconds (approximately 17 feet).
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.289, 660ft-3.481/199.14 mph.
Ron Capps' incremental times:
60ft-0.893 sec., 330ft-2.287, 660ft-3.422/218.65 mph.
12:19 p.m.
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