Sun, 19 May 2024, 12:56 PM Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Reporter

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 J.R. Todd                             771 Alexis DeJoria               
E1                   0.065  9.674  75.64     ****WINNER****  0.118  4.166 257.63
 Qualified:            #12  4.040 316.52                        #5  3.936 330.55

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 49 percent, barometer 29.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,390 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Alexis DeJoria is 5 - 5 in Rd. 1 against J.R. Todd. J.R. Todd's 11 round are the most for him after the first 5 races of any year in his career.

Todd is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off. DeJoria was on a real good pass until on the top end when it got loose and over by the wall. She holds on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3095 Bobby Bode                            116 Paul Lee                     
E1                   0.077  4.212 235.31     ****WINNER****  0.108  3.977 326.00
 Qualified:            #14  4.095 311.63                        #3  3.922 323.12

Paul Lee has now qualified in the top half of the field at 5 consecutive races. Bobby Bode is making his 31st start overall and his 3rd this year. He is 2 - 0 in Rd. 1 this year.

Bode with the starting line advantage, but around half track the car gets real loose and he clicks it off. Lee is straight down the groove with a good clean pass for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Jack Wyatt                            374 Austin Prock                 
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.090  3.975 324.67
 Qualified:            #16  4.677 187.52                        #1  3.907 332.43

The #1 FC qualifier is 20 - 3 in Rd. 1 at this event. Jack Wyatt is making his 43rd start.

Wyatt can't get his car to fire and is pushed off the starting line.

Prock launched hard and kept it hooked up to make the quickest pass of the round for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  139 Dave Richards                           3 Bob Tasca III                
E1                   0.078  4.204 280.31     ****WINNER****  0.098  3.980 327.11
 Qualified:            #15  4.316 225.15                        #2  3.913 329.91

This is the 300th start for Bob Tasca. He is 172 - 127 (56%) in Rd. 1. Dave Richards is making his 47th start. He is 0 - 3 against Tasca.

Richards with the starting line advantage, but Tasca has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trails from there on for the win.

Richards with a good pass and on the top end got over by the centerline. He crossed the centerline after the finish line and that will cost him 10 points.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Buddy Hull                              7 John Force                   
E1                   0.100  5.526 140.85     ****WINNER****  0.111  4.042 317.49
 Qualified:            #13  4.092 315.49                        #4  3.930 326.95

John Force wins 80% of his Rd. 1 races when starting from the top half of the field. Buddy Hull is the 152nd driver to race John Force. Of that total 61 (40%) have never beaten him.

Hull with the starting line advantage, but starts to haze the tires and pedals it before clicking it off. Force is straight down the groove for the win. He will have lane choice over DeJoria in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Matt Hagan                              4 Ron Capps                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.055  4.087 297.09                     0.083  4.650 184.80
 Qualified:            #11  4.012 322.27                        #6  3.939 327.90

The #6 FC qualifier is 18 - 5 in Rd. 1 at this event. Capps is 39 - 36 overall against Matt Hagan and 7 - 4 against him in Rd. 1. Matt Hagan is 243 - 94 (72%) in Rd. 1 overall and 4 - 1 this year.

Hagan with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win on the top end the car got real loose. The car makes a quick move toward the centerline and crosses over after the 1000 foot mark and before 1320. That will cost him 10 points. He will give up lane choice to Lee in the next round.

Capps started to lose traction around half track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Chad Green                            256 Blake Alexander              
E1                   0.051  4.117 289.26     ****WINNER****  0.082  3.996 313.00
 Qualified:            #10  3.963 312.86                        #7  3.953 314.75

Blake Alexander is 1 - 3 in Rd. 1 this year. Chad Green qualified #10 and the #10 FC qualifier is 8 - 15 in Rd. 1 at this event.

Green is 2 - 1 against Alexander in prior events.

Green with the starting line advantage and never trailed 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
  348 Daniel Wilkerson                       71 Cruz Pedregon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.107  4.222 231.36                     0.047  4.517 194.30
 Qualified:             #9  3.962 321.58                        #8  3.957 319.90

Cruz Pedregon is 24 - 15 in Rd. 1 when starting from the #8 spot. Daniel Wilkerson is making his 20th start. This is his 1st race against Pedregon.

Pedregon with the starting line advantage, but starts to haze the tires and clicks it off. Wilkerson was hazing the tires from half track on but holds on for the win. He will give up lane choice to Prock in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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