Sun, 18 Oct 2026, 10:50 AM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 41st annual Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  489 Chase Copeland                        744 Shane Westerfield            
E2                   0.000  7.222 141.92     ****WINNER****  0.054  5.472 266.46
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Esz       ) 0.096  5.570 246.87      (B Brown     ) 0.056  5.483 265.52
 Qualified:            #12  5.564 255.99                        #4  5.429 269.64

9:31 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 54 degrees, relative humidity 72 percent, barometer 30.37 inches, adjusted altitude 83 feet.

This is the first time Copeland and Westerfield have faced each other in eliminations.

Copeland gets a perfect light but the engine was struggling all the way through the run. Westerfield goes down the groove with a clean, straight pass to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2606 Mark Billington                         1 Sean Bellemeur               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.062  5.492 264.60                    -0.012  5.359 272.18
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Menapace  ) 0.036  5.530 263.81      (M Yaremko   ) 0.064  5.437 267.11
 Qualified:             #8  5.464 265.47                        #1  5.388 271.15

Bellemeur leaves too soon and goes red. He stays on the throttle and makes the quickest pass of the weekend.

Billington makes a decent pass and moves on to the next round. He will give up lane choice to Westerfield in the next round.

Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.411, 660ft-3.554/216.64 mph, 1,000ft-4.531.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  552 Kyle Smith                              9 Chris Foster                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.038  5.426 261.70                    -0.019  5.426 267.86
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Steele    ) 0.050  5.421 263.90      (T Gasparrell) 0.035  5.439 266.41
 Qualified:            #11  5.528 229.51                        #3  5.427 268.42

Smith is 1 - 0 against Foster in prior events.

Foster is too quick off of the line and goes red giving the win to Smith. Smith makes his second quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Bob McCosh                           7524 Doug Gordon                  
E2                   0.042  5.490 257.75     ****WINNER****  0.040  5.429 267.67
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Foster    ) 0.046  5.442 265.67      (R Kanenwishe) 0.048  5.424 268.08
 Qualified:             #7  5.440 267.43                        #2  5.411 268.29

Gordon is 3 - 0 against McCosh in prior events.

A coin flip off of the line, Gordon takes the early lead. McCosh makes up a little ground at the 330 foot mark, then Gordon starts pulling away and goes on through for the win.

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

Doug Gordon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.025), 330 ft(0.023), 660ft(0.024), 1,000ft(0.039). MOV: 0.0630 seconds (approximately 24 feet).