Sun, 17 Nov 2019, 16:51 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  700 Steven Densham                        256 Blake Alexander              
E2                   0.070  4.522 294.69     ****WINNER****  0.084  4.157 279.27
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Wilkerson ) 0.085  5.380 135.29      (B Tasca III ) 0.064  3.981 318.69
 Qualified:            #14  4.129 289.57                       #11  3.998 317.19

1:34 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 28.82 inches, adjusted altitude 3,303 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

This is the first time Densham and Alexander have faced each other in eliminations.

Densham gets off the line first, but has the tires shake before the 60 foot lights, he pedals and gets after it again to no avail.

Alexander was on a good pass untill after the 330 lights, where the engine started to drop cylinders. The Mustang gets way too close to the wall but he gets the win.

Steven Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.899 sec., 330ft-2.471, 660ft-3.669/231.71 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 J.R. Todd                               7 Jack Beckman                 
E2                   0.056  4.005 318.47     ****WINNER****  0.077  3.958 324.20
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Johnson Jr) 0.062  3.974 323.19      (J Hale      ) 0.082  3.946 321.65
 Qualified:            #10  3.972 324.20                        #2  3.876 332.43

Todd has the advantage at the green and holds off Beckman to right after the 60 foot lights. It is all Beckman after that to the finish line. He will have lane choice over Alexander in round three.

J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.301, 660ft-3.242/274.33 mph.
Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.269, 660ft-3.206/276.92 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  333 Shawn Langdon                           2 Robert Hight                 
E2                   0.096  4.004 315.12     ****WINNER****  0.090  3.976 324.75
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Arend     ) 0.006  4.013 322.27      (J Force     ) 0.078  3.945 327.82
 Qualified:             #4  3.893 330.80                        #5  3.895 330.55

Things get crazy fast on the line, as one of the parachutes fall out of the pack before they start the car for the burn out. The team quickly gets it repacked and he is able to make the pass. Hight is 5 - 2 against Langdon in prior events.

A great race, as Langdon paces Hight to near the 660 lights. JFR power drives the Camaro to the win.

Robert Hight's incremental margins: 60ft(0.002), 330 ft(0.004), 660ft(0.019). MOV: 0.0341 seconds (approximately 16 feet).

Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.289, 660ft-3.238/272.78 mph.
Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.892 sec., 330ft-2.291, 660ft-3.225/275.62 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2814 Matt Hagan                             28 Ron Capps                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.005 323.04                     0.076  6.338  83.99
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Lindberg  ) 0.078  4.114 275.11      (C Pedregon  ) 0.066  3.949 326.00
 Qualified:             #1  3.872 333.58                        #8  3.940 328.06

Capps is 33 - 25 against Hagan in prior events.

Hagan keeps on keeping on with a better leave and a clean pass to the finish line.

He will give up lane choice to Hight in round three later.

Capps' engines starts to get unhappy after the 330 lights and then goes BANG big time and slows..

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.284, 660ft-3.244/270.86 mph.

1:47 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink