Sun, 20 Sep 2015, 14:56 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual NHRA Carolina Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tommy Johnson Jr.                       4 Courtney Force               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.095 302.08                     0.066  6.139 146.88
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Gilbertson) 0.088  4.338 303.71      (J Beckman   ) 0.072  4.086 305.63
 Qualified:             #1  3.971 312.42                        #9  4.062 307.86

2:41 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 29.24 inches, adjusted altitude 3,621 feet, track temperature 121 degrees.

Force is 3 - 2 against Johnson Jr. in prior events.

Force has lane choice and she has chosen the right lane.

It doesn't look like a good decision, she hits the throttle and goes up in smoke instantly. Johnson goes right down the groove with a good pass for the conditions and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  744 Shane Westerfield                     771 Alexis DeJoria               
E2                   0.116  6.285 110.99     ****WINNER****  0.111  4.123 305.49
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Hight     ) 0.097  4.269 252.95      (T Wilkerson ) 0.082  4.107 301.94
 Qualified:            #12  4.204 291.63                       #13  4.208 293.54

This is the first time Westerfield and DeJoria have faced each other in eliminations.

DeJoria gets a small advantage off the line and starts to pull away. Westerfield got about 300 feet out, bangs the blower and the pipes go wet.

Johnson will have lane choice over DeJoria in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  750 Del Worsham                             1 Matt Hagan                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.054  4.235 290.69                     0.078  7.997  98.52
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Richards  ) 0.087  4.120 304.94      (C Pedregon  ) 0.071  4.119 303.78
 Qualified:             #2  3.993 318.32                        #7  4.015 314.02

Hagan is 8 - 5 against Worsham in prior events.

Worsham gets out of the gate and starts to pull away. hagan gets about 20 feet out, strikes the tires and has to give up on the run. worsham goes right down the groove and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 John Force                             28 Ron Capps                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.143 305.49                     0.084  4.209 275.06
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Hale      ) 0.071  4.266 265.06      (T Pedregon  ) 0.065  5.887 276.29
 Qualified:             #6  4.004 313.80                        #3  3.994 317.34

Force is 51 - 28 against Capps in prior events.

Force gets out of the gate first but Capps reels him in quickly and goes around at the 60 foot mark. Capps stays in front through the 330 foot mark, then starts falling back. Force goes back around about 600 feet out and pulls away for the win.

John Force's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.007), 330 ft(-0.017), 660ft(0.011). MOV: 0.0831 seconds (approximately 34 feet).

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

word from the track crew, Capps left some oil on the track, his second this year.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink