Sun, 27 Sep 2020, 11:05 AM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Terry Haddock                          10 Tim Wilkerson                
E1                   0.104 12.078  88.12     ****WINNER****  0.099  3.987 314.83
 Qualified:            #15 11.919  81.56                        #2  4.003 318.47

Wilkerson is 3 - 0 against Haddock in prior events.

Wilkerson with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He was spinning the tires on the top end. he runs the second quickest pass of the event for the win.

Haddock with problems right at the hit and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  139 Dave Richards                           5 Bob Tasca III                
E1                   0.124  7.059  88.09     ****WINNER****  0.078  3.971 323.97
 Qualified:            #14  6.212 106.64                        #3  4.020 317.57

Tasca III is 1 - 0 against Richards in prior events.

Tasca with the starting line advantage and then runs low E.t. and top speed of the event for the win.

Richards starts to shake right at the hit and clicks it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
        Bye                                2814 Matt Hagan                   
E1                                            ****WINNER****  0.073  3.915 327.90
 Qualified:                                                       #1  3.975 321.35

Hagan with the bye here. He qualified number one for the 39th time in his career.

Hagan on the single launched hard and kept it hooked up and runs low E.T. and top speed of the event. Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.879 sec., 330ft-2.239, 660ft-3.169/277.83 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  241 John Smith                             28 Ron Capps                    
E1                   0.089  4.024 302.21     ****WINNER****  0.075  3.999 325.14
 Qualified:            #13  4.729 152.81                        #4  4.025 309.27

This is the first time Smith and Capps have faced each other in eliminations.

Capps with the starting line advantage, Smith had the lead at 330 feet. Capps grabs the lead back by 660 feet and takes the win. Ron Capps' MOV: 0.0392 seconds (approximately 17 feet). Capps with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

Smith was right here with him and runs his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. the chutes are late coming out, but he gets it stopped.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  703 Jim Campbell                          771 Alexis DeJoria               
E1                   0.106  7.184  85.45     ****WINNER****  0.121  4.051 312.28
 Qualified:            #12  4.424 233.80                        #5  4.088 269.67

DeJoria is 3 - 0 against Campbell in prior events.

Campbell with the starting line advantage, but shook the tires right at the hit and clicked it off.

DeJoria is on a good pass until right in the light when it appeared to start mixing up cylinder and the engine eating itself up. she still runs her quickest pass of the weekend. She will give up lane choice to Capps in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                         256 Blake Alexander              
E1                   0.157  8.664  90.03     ****WINNER****  0.080  5.118 183.52
 Qualified:            #11  4.174 245.99                        #6  4.097 301.94

Pedregon is 1 - 0 against Alexander in prior events.

Alexander with the starting line advantage and never trailed. Pedregon was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Alexander was then up in smoke and was make a move toward the centerline, he pedaled it. The car was back up in smoke and once again headed toward the centerline before he clicked it off. He holds on for the win. He will give up lane choice to Tasca in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   33 Tommy Johnson Jr.                     373 J.R. Todd                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.051  3.962 320.66                     0.060  4.006 321.58
 Qualified:            #10  4.129 249.44                        #7  4.107 308.64

Todd is 7 - 6 against Johnson Jr. in prior events.

Johnson Jr. with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win in a good drag race. Johnson Jr. with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Tommy Johnson Jr.'s MOV: 0.0539 seconds (approximately 25 feet). Johnson Jr. will have lane choice over Wilkerson in the next round.

Todd runs his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jack Beckman                          116 Paul Lee                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.075  3.921 325.92                     0.116  4.135 261.67
 Qualified:             #9  4.123 254.18                        #8  4.108 291.07

Beckman is 5 - 0 against Lee in prior events.

Beckman with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He runs the second quickest pass of the round for the win. He will give up lane choice to Hagan in the next round.

Lee was on a good pass until on the top end when it started to haze the tires and was out of the groove over by the wall before he clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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