Sun, 14 Feb 2016, 16:37 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3111 Chad Head                              28 Ron Capps                    
E2                   0.082  4.592 264.86     ****WINNER****  0.065  3.972 322.81
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Hagan     ) 0.099  3.986 320.97      (J Diehl     ) 0.089  4.009 320.74
 Qualified:             #7  3.950 319.29                        #2  3.902 324.51

1:22 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 37 percent, barometer 28.92 inches, adjusted altitude 2,948 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Head and Capps have each won 2 times against the other in prior events, Capps won the only time they faced off in a second round.

Capps left first, then Head briefly lost traction and the race was over. Capps' team apparently got his first-round problems sorted out, returning to his qualifying form here.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  771 Alexis DeJoria                          1 Del Worsham                  
E2                   0.096  4.164 246.93     ****WINNER****  0.051  3.981 322.04
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Campbell  ) 0.109  3.968 323.04      (C Pedregon  ) 0.072  4.391 213.70
 Qualified:             #4  3.942 324.59                        #5  3.943 322.27

Worsham is 5 - 4 against DeJoria in prior events, 4 - 2 in round two.

Worsham had a nice advantage at the green and that early lead just got bigger when DeJoria's car started using up both sides of the lane past the 660-foot marker.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Robert Hight                          746 Courtney Force               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.067  3.955 324.67                     0.068  4.101 258.62
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Johnson Jr) 0.068  3.928 324.67      (G Densham   ) 0.068  3.925 329.34
 Qualified:             #3  3.913 322.04                        #6  3.945 322.88

Hight is 9 - 5 against Force in prior events, but Courtney has a 5 - 3 edge in second round matchups.

This was a good race to the 660, then Courtney's pipes went wet and Hight was under power all the way to the stripe.

Robert Hight's incremental margins: 60ft(0.003), 330 ft(0.011), 660ft(0.041). MOV: 0.1474 seconds (approximately 56 feet).

Hight will have lane choice against Capps in the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 John Force                              2 Jack Beckman                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.058  4.010 315.34                     0.060  4.131 292.46
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Wilkerson ) 0.140  3.975 320.81      (J Hale      ) 0.079  4.243 286.98
 Qualified:             #9  3.964 322.34                        #1  3.888 326.16

Beckman is 25 - 8 against Force in prior events, 10 - 1 in the second round.

Not today! Beckman's car was trying to move left, then right, and Force managed to keep his car in the groove all the way.

John Force's incremental margins: 60ft(0.018), 330 ft(0.039), 660ft(0.070). MOV: 0.1233 seconds (approximately 53 feet).

Force will race Worsham in the semifinals, Worsham has lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink