Sat, 11 Sep 2021, 15:33 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 36th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 Matt Gill                             729 Nick Januik                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.016  5.557 269.83                     0.146  5.680 251.02
 Qualified:             #4  5.471 271.30                        #5  5.486 258.42

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 30.17 inches, adjusted altitude 1,894 feet.

This is the first time Gill and Januik have faced each other in eliminations.

Gill with a great light and never trailed for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  189 John Headley                            1 Doug Gordon                  
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.067  5.446 270.75
 Qualified:             #8  7.417 126.22                        #1  5.449 268.76

Headley is a no-show to give Gordon the freebie.

Gordon launched hard and kept it hooked up and runs low E.T. of the event on the single. He will have lane choice over Gill in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Sean Bellemeur                         15 Brian Gawlik                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.023  5.462 268.49                     0.015  9.505  88.21
 Qualified:             #3  5.464 266.00                        #6  5.557 262.03

This is the first time Bellemeur and Gawlik have faced each other in eliminations.

Gawlik with a great light, but loses traction right at the hit.

Bellemeur with a great light and is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend. Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.462, 660ft-3.632/212.36 mph, 1,000ft-4.624.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 DJ Cox Jr.                             13 Dan Pomponio                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.065  5.501 268.54                     0.029  6.016 186.48
 Qualified:             #2  5.455 269.46                        #7  5.573 261.27

Cox Jr. is 2 - 1 against Pomponio in prior events.

Pomponio with the starting line advantage, but Cox Jr. has the lead by half track and takes the win. He will give up lane choice to Bellemeur in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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