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Sun, 12 Nov 2017, 15:49 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Terry Ruckman                         800 Ulf Leanders                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.038  5.491 268.33                     0.184  5.633 265.22
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Payne     ) 0.037  5.549 266.42      (R Martin    ) 0.073  5.493 267.64
 Qualified:             #6  5.524 269.24                        #3  5.482 267.00

12:31 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 28.95 inches, adjusted altitude 2,339 feet, track temperature 80 degrees.
Ulf Leanders has almost a 54% career round win record. He is making his 20th round two appearance with a prior 47+% win record. Terry Ruckman is making his 18th round two appearence with a 35% win record. Ruckman is 2 - 0 against Leanders in prior events.
Leanders is way late and has to watch Ruckman run a career best ET to take the easy win.

Terry Ruckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.476, 660ft-3.655/210.93 mph, 1,000ft-4.652.
Ulf Leanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.983 sec., 330ft-2.583, 660ft-3.781/209.30 mph, 1,000ft-4.786.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 John Lombardo Jr.                      65 Brian Hough                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.057  5.446 269.19                     0.051  6.255 172.28
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Bellemeur ) 0.077  5.430 270.81      (N Januik    ) 0.078  5.507 268.22
 Qualified:             #1  5.409 272.83                        #8  5.530 266.79

John Lombardo already has 295 rounds of racing behind him and has over a 46% win record in his prior 53 round two races. Brian Hough is running his 208th round of racing and has has over a 49% win record in his prior 63 rounds of round two racing. Hough is 2 - 1 against Lombardo Jr. in prior events.
Hough gets a small 0.006 advantage and stayed with Lombardo until near the 1000 foot lights, where the car slowed.
Lombardo powers on to the finish line and finishes strong.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.475, 660ft-3.631/214.93 mph, 1,000ft-4.612.
Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.514, 660ft-3.793/183.47 mph, 1,000ft-5.027.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Annie Whiteley                       676M Chris Marshall               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.083  5.453 271.13                     0.046  5.560 262.69
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Williamson) 0.130  5.410 273.05      (C Beverett  ) 0.028  5.993 179.40
 Qualified:             #2  5.414 273.27                        #7  5.527 265.74

Annie Whiteley has over a 56% career round win record, with 59% in round two matchups. Chris Marshall is making his 15th round of racing and one one of his three prior round two matchups. Whiteley is 2 - 1 against Marshall in prior events.
Two strong leaves with Marshall getting the advantage early.
Whiteley drives on by right before the 660 lights and pulls steadily ahead for the win.
She will keep lane choice over Ruckman in round three.
Annie Whiteley's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.028), 330 ft(-0.024), 660ft(0.007), 1,000ft(0.042). MOV: 0.0708 seconds (approximately 27 feet).

Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.475, 660ft-3.639/213.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.623.
Chris Marshall's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.488, 660ft-3.683/207.11 mph, 1,000ft-4.702.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Doug Gordon                             4 Shane Westerfield            
E2                   0.042  5.497 270.75     ****WINNER****  0.020  5.489 266.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Gasparrell) 0.057  5.459 271.35      (K Hool      ) 0.039  5.538 267.75
 Qualified:            #12  5.584 268.87                        #4  5.491 269.08

Shane Westerfield has already won over 61% of all of his prior 144 rounds of racing. He has over a 64% round two win advantage. Doug Gordon has won over 58% of all of prior races and has almost a 60% round two win advantage. Gordon and Westerfield have each won 8 times against the other in prior events.
They leave close together, but Westerfield has the tune up advantage and starts a steady pull to the finish line and the win.
Lombardo will have lane choice next round.
Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.670/211.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.663.
Shane Westerfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.464, 660ft-3.644/211.03 mph, 1,000ft-4.645.

12:40 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink