Sun, 22 May 2016, 16:32 PM Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Bob Orme

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 28th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jack Beckman                           10 Tim Wilkerson                
E3   ****WINNER****  0.070  3.936 324.20                     0.087 No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E2    (T Johnson Jr) 0.085  3.956 316.75      (D Worsham   ) 0.074  3.972 324.44
E1    (D Creasy Jr ) 0.068  3.933 327.19      (J Hale      ) 0.081  3.935 325.45
 Qualified:             #2  3.866 332.10                        #3  3.869 333.74

2:31 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 28.80 inches, adjusted altitude 3,898 feet, track temperature 120 degrees.

Wilkerson is 15 - 13 against Beckman in prior events.

Wilkerson made an immediate hard right turn on the launch. He hit the right lane retaining wall, spun around, and hit the left lane retaining wall. He is okay, but his car did sustain some damage. Beckman advances to his second final round of this season.

Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.247, 660ft-3.184/275.84 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  746 Courtney Force                          5 Matt Hagan                   
E3                   0.050 10.747  80.24     ****WINNER****  0.070  3.951 324.05
 Prior rounds:
E2    (A DeJoria   ) 0.065  3.961 324.05      (R Hight     ) 0.056  3.942 323.81
E1    (B Tasca III ) 0.081  3.943 324.44      (B Stewart   ) 0.066  3.943 325.69
 Qualified:             #4  3.871 331.12                        #1  3.862 335.57

3:23 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 53 percent, barometer 28.78 inches, adjusted altitude 3,875 feet, track temperature 115 degrees.

Force is 10 - 6 against Hagan in prior events.

Force is up in smoke almost immediately. Hagan makes a solid pass but he will give lane choice to Beckman in the final. This will be Hagan's second consecutive final round, having won in Atlanta.

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.270, 660ft-3.200/279.21 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink