Mon, 07 Sep 2026, 13:21 PM Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

INDIANAPOLIS - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Matt Hagan                              6 Paul Lee                     
E2   ****WINNER****  0.065  3.959 330.96                     0.065  4.007 323.66
 Prior rounds:
E1    (H Green     ) 0.068  3.917 333.25      (S Hyde      ) 0.056  3.925 326.87
 Qualified:             #5  3.947 331.77                       #13  4.037 324.05

1:01 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 56 percent, barometer 30.10 inches, adjusted altitude 2,560 feet, track temperature 115 degrees.

Hagan is 15 - 2 against Lee in prior events.

They leave the line together but Hagan starts pulling away and extends his lead all the way through the run. Lee makes a decent pass.

Matt Hagan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.016), 330 ft(0.026), 660ft(0.035). MOV: 0.0483 seconds (approximately 23 feet).

Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.281, 660ft-3.218/278.12 mph.

Paul Lee's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.307, 660ft-3.253/274.89 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   28 Ron Capps                               5 Daniel Wilkerson             
E2   ****WINNER****  0.086  3.989 320.97                     0.059  7.835  98.32
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Smith     ) 0.081  3.908 333.66      (C Pedregon  ) 0.081  3.942 324.59
 Qualified:             #1  3.914 332.18                        #9  3.974 321.96

Capps is 9 - 3 against Wilkerson in prior events.

Wilkerson hits the throttle and goes up in smoke. He gets back on the throttle, then gives up on the run. Capps goes down the groove with a good pass to take the win.

Capps will give up lane choice to Hagan in the next round with the points lead on the line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jack Beckman                          771 Alexis DeJoria               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.075  3.924 329.75                     0.093  5.323 137.44
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Arend     ) 0.069  3.885 328.94      (C Green     ) 0.077  3.937 326.16
 Qualified:             #3  3.937 326.79                        #6  3.947 329.26

Beckman is 19 - 6 against DeJoria in prior events.

Beckman goes down the groove with another good run to take the win. DeJoria gets about 400 feet out and strikes the tires.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   24 Jordan Vandergriff                      1 Austin Prock                 
E2                   0.073  4.055 314.46     ****WINNER****  0.049  3.935 328.86
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Todd      ) 0.044  3.908 331.61      (J Nataas    ) 0.057  3.917 330.15
 Qualified:             #7  3.948 327.59                        #2  3.921 317.87

Vandergriff is 3 - 2 against Prock in prior events.

Prock gets off of the line first, starts pulling away, and extends his lead all the way through the run.

Beckman will have lane choice over Prock in the next round.

With Vandergriff's loss, the race between Capps and Hagan in the next round will determine the regular season championship.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink