Mon, 24 May 2021, 11:20 AM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 34th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  373 J.R. Todd                             723 John Force                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  3.916 327.43                     0.082  3.971 323.35
 Qualified:             #8  3.994 322.58                        #9  4.000 275.84

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 100 percent, barometer 30.09 inches, adjusted altitude 1,810 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

J.R. Todd wins 66% of his races when he has lane choice in rd. 1.

Force is 7 - 4 against Todd in prior events.

Todd with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. J.R. Todd's MOV: 0.0706 seconds (approximately 33 feet).

Force started to haze the tires, but stayed with it.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  256 Blake Alexander                         7 Tim Wilkerson                
E1                   0.092  5.307 182.16     ****WINNER****  0.094  4.481 205.41
 Qualified:            #10  4.009 314.46                        #7  3.975 319.07

Alexander is 1 - 0 against Wilkerson in prior events.

Alexander was out of the gated first, but started to lose traction by 330 feet.

Wilkerson started to haze the tired just past half track and held on for the win.

This is Tim Wilkerson's 426 round wins are 8th most in FC history.

Alexander pedaled it but couldn't chase Wilkerson down.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7000 Robert Hight                         3095 Bobby Bode                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.137  3.933 328.94                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #5  3.954 324.05                       #12  4.030 313.58

Robert Hight is 13 - 14 in rd. 1 when starting from the 5th spot.

Bode had to go back to college, so he is not here today.

Hight is straight down the groove with a good clean pass on the single.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                             116 Paul Lee                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.093  3.894 327.51                     0.086  3.956 322.88
 Qualified:             #3  3.941 315.42                       #14  4.133 250.13

Capps is 3 - 0 against Lee in prior events.

Lee with the slight starting line advantage, but Capps has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win. Capps runs low E.T. of the event for the win.

Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.231, 660ft-3.150/280.84 mph.

Lee with a great pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Bob Tasca III                         703 Jim Campbell                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.108  5.268 138.98                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #1  3.908 331.53                       #16  7.603  83.55

Bob Tasca is 16 - 4 in rd. 1 in his last 20 races.

Campbell is a no-show.

Tasca III started to lose traction around half track and clicked it off. He will give up lane choice to Todd in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  771 Alexis DeJoria                        499 Todd Simpson                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  3.931 314.53                     0.086 25.341  49.76
 Qualified:             #2  3.912 307.44                       #15  5.712 125.16

Todd Simpson's 1st race in the pro classes was at this event in 2006.

This is the first time DeJoria and Simpson have faced each other in eliminations.

Simpson with a slight starting line advantage, but lost traction right at the hit.

DJoria is straight down the groove and past the finish line, her chuts collected the win lights on the wall. She will have lane choice over Wilkerson in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   71 Cruz Pedregon                         121 Terry Haddock                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.106  3.971 318.24                     0.142  6.045 120.13
 Qualified:             #4  3.943 323.12                       #13  4.072 312.21

Cruz Pedregon wins 73% of his rd. 1 races when he has lane choice.
Terry Haddock's 312.21 in qualifying was a career best mph.

Pedregon is 7 - 0 against Haddock in prior events.

Pedregon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will give up lane choice to Hight in th next round.

Haddock started to lose traction right at the hit and pedaled it, but couldn't get it to hook up before he clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Matt Hagan                            473 Chad Green                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.082  3.946 312.78                     0.125  3.969 320.28
 Qualified:             #6  3.961 324.12                       #11  4.011 323.81

This is the first time Hagan and Green have faced each other in eliminations.

Hagan with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He had a flash of flames right in the lights, but gets the win. He give up lane choice to Capps in the next round.

Green is straight down the groove with a good looking pass in the losing effort.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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