Sat, 14 Oct 2023, 13:21 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  584 Annie Whiteley                         54 Christine Foster             
E1                   0.065  5.453 268.54     ****WINNER****  0.015  5.431 270.16
 Qualified:             #1  5.433 268.69                       #14  5.592 263.08

11:57 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 43 percent, barometer 30.17 inches, adjusted altitude 929 feet.

Foster gets out of the gate first and starts to pull away. She extends her lead all the way through the run and takes the stripe for the win with a career best pass.

Foster will have a bye in the next round.

Christine Foster's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.452, 660ft-3.608/214.93 mph, 1,000ft-4.596.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5087 Jim Whiteley                           64 Chris Marshall               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.045  5.418 267.86                     0.104  5.634 260.00
 Qualified:             #3  5.456 265.35                       #12  5.574 259.14

This is the first time Whiteley and Marshall have faced each other in eliminations.

Whiteley gets the advantage off of the line and pulls away for the win with a career best pass.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.409, 660ft-3.576/212.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.574.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Sean Bellemeur                         32 Andy Bohl                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.046  5.359 271.15                     0.031  5.475 269.41
 Qualified:             #2  5.433 267.90                       #13  5.580 267.27

Bellemeur is 3 - 1 against Bohl in prior events.

Bellemeur hits the throttle and makes a move to the left. He stays on the throttle, steers it back toward the center, then goes on through with the second quickest pass in TAFC history. Bohl makes a good pass, was out in front early, but Bellemeur goes around him for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Doug Gordon                          7071 Hunter Jones                 
E1   ****WINNER****  3.215  5.444 270.79                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #4  5.462 268.95                       #11  5.564 259.61

Jones is 1 - 0 against Gordon in prior events.

Jones starts to stage and rolls through the beams. Gordon leaves late, probably distracted by Jones, but he makes a decent pass for the win.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.453, 660ft-3.617/213.54 mph, 1,000ft-4.609.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 DJ Cox Jr.                              6 Bob McCosh                   
E1                   0.075  5.482 268.48     ****WINNER****  0.047  5.412 270.82
 Qualified:             #6  5.469 266.48                        #9  5.545 264.07

Cox Jr. is 3 - 1 against McCosh in prior events.

McCosh gets the advantage off of the line and extends his lead all the way through the run with a career best pass.

DJ Cox Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.479, 660ft-3.646/212.50 mph, 1,000ft-4.641.

Bob McCosh's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.443, 660ft-3.595/215.38 mph, 1,000ft-4.578.

McCosh will have lane choice over Jim Whiteley in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Matt Gill                              33 Chris Foster                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.055  5.410 271.49                     0.108  5.499 266.70
 Qualified:             #5  5.469 268.67                       #10  5.550 263.67

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

Gill gets out of the gate first and he extends his lead all the way through the run. Foster makes his quickest pass of the weekend in the loss.

Matt Gill's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.431, 660ft-3.592/213.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.579.

Chris Foster's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.475, 660ft-3.651/210.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.653.

Gill will have lane choice over Gordon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Brian Hough                             9 Kyle Smith                   
E1                  -0.047  5.439 268.58     ****WINNER****  0.019  5.944 183.01
 Qualified:             #7  5.486 265.60                        #8  5.538 260.31

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

Hough is a little too quick off of the line and goes red giving the win to Smith. Smith has problems and is off of the throttle early.

Bellemeur will have lane choice over Smith in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink