Sun, 30 Oct 2016, 17:25 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 16th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   76 Terry Ruckman                         800 Ulf Leanders                 
E3   ****WINNER****  0.089  5.634 260.86                           No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Lindberg  ) 0.070  5.612 262.59      (J Lindberg  ) 0.059  5.628 260.76
E1    (J Payne     ) 0.042  5.795 262.33      (A Whiteley  ) 0.064  5.602 260.26
 Qualified:             #5  5.571 264.44                        #9  5.606 258.81

2:17 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 27.72 inches, adjusted altitude 4,753 feet.

Ruckman is 1 - 0 against Leanders in prior events.

Leanders has problems after getting the engine started and is shut down before making a pass.

Ruckman goes right down the groove with another good pass.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6345 Clint Thompson                         15 DJ Cox Jr.                   
E3                   0.097 12.118  70.08     ****WINNER****  0.051  5.549 262.03
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Lombardo J) 0.050  5.576 262.13      (S Gasparrell) 0.041  5.539 262.79
E1    (C Beverett  ) 0.035  5.677 260.61      (N Januik    ) 0.031  5.548 262.54
 Qualified:             #7  5.589 260.71                        #3  5.536 263.56

Thompson is 1 - 0 against Cox Jr. in prior events.

Cox gets out of the gate first and starts drifting toward the wall. Thompson leaves, gets about 200 feet out and the engine goes silent. Cox gets the car steered back toward the groove and goes on for the win.

Cox will have lane choice over Ruckman in the final round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink