Sun, 15 Oct 2023, 15:56 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in 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
    4 Bob Tasca III                           9 Tim Wilkerson                
E2                   0.069  3.921 328.25     ****WINNER****  0.078  3.866 327.58
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Wyatt     ) 0.081  4.248 239.34      (A DeJoria   ) 0.079  4.416 202.42
 Qualified:             #1  3.822 335.55                        #9  3.879 324.25

2:22 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 30.21 inches, adjusted altitude 1,119 feet, track temperature 107 degrees.

Wilkerson is 21 - 15 against Tasca III in prior events.

Tasca gets the advantage off of the line but Wilkerson gets around him before they reach the sixty foot mark. Wilkerson continues to extend his lead and pulls away for the win with his quickest pass of the year.

Tim Wilkerson's incremental margins: 60ft(0.003), 330 ft(0.018), 660ft(0.040).

Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.231, 660ft-3.130/287.94 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 John Force                              6 Cruz Pedregon                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.102  3.845 327.68                     0.099  3.889 328.59
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Diehl     ) 0.113  3.839 331.74      (C Green     ) 0.040  3.935 332.10
 Qualified:             #2  3.823 328.56                       #10  3.881 327.61

Force is 81 - 40 against Pedregon in prior events.

A coin flip off of the line, Force gets the early lead. Force continues to pull away and takes the win with another good pass. Pedregon improves on his first pass but it isn't enough.

John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.212, 660ft-3.107/288.02 mph.

Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.881 sec., 330ft-2.244, 660ft-3.150/285.01 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  373 J.R. Todd                             121 Terry Haddock                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.076  3.928 327.03                     0.093  5.920 112.88
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Alexander ) 0.053  3.882 327.11      (R Hight     ) 0.038  4.266 298.73
 Qualified:             #6  3.857 330.32                       #14  4.012 311.66

Todd is 4 - 0 against Haddock in prior events.

Todd gets the holeshot and goes down the groove with another good run. Haddock gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires and goes up in smoke.

Force will have lane choice over Todd in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Matt Hagan                             40 Alex Laughlin                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.073  3.868 331.30                     0.061  4.344 255.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Lee       ) 0.067  3.895 318.88      (R Capps     ) 0.056  4.237 275.21
 Qualified:             #5  3.848 319.24                       #13  3.988 315.10

Hagan is 2 - 1 against Laughlin in prior events.

Laughlin gets the holeshot but Hagan drove around him quickly and pulled away for the win. Laughlin loses a cylinder and starts moving toward the centerline. He steers it back to the center, gets close to the finish line, then bangs the blower as he steps off of the throttle.

Wilkerson will have lane choice over Hagan in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink