Mon, Nov 2, 05:12 PM BAYTOWN - Federal-Mogul Funny Car Round 3 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 3 eliminations in Federal-Mogul Funny Car at the 2nd annual Matco Tools Supernationals:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Bob Newberry        5.690 253.02  Q   5 Pat Austin          5.755 250.20
   (R Morrison  ) 0.563  5.696 253.30 E1   (D Townsend  ) 0.495  5.727 252.88
   (T Simpson   ) 0.501  5.721 251.60 E2   (J Weaver    ) 0.416  5.747 254.16
                  0.480  5.951 246.10 E3 *****WINNER***** 0.490  5.729 251.74

11:03 AM It's not like these two haven't raced each other before...and today it's Austin with the superior top-end power to take as surprisingly easy win. The Austin team has that car running like a bracket racer this weekend, his qualifying run and all three rounds of eliminations within 0.028 seconds of each other.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  10 Jackie Stidham      5.828 249.10  Q   3 Chuck Cheeseman     5.735 249.51
   (J Gray      ) 0.479  5.792 248.61 E1   (T Branch    ) 0.535  5.755 248.89
   (C Fryfogle  ) 0.440  5.711 252.31 E2   (P Gill      ) 0.506  5.741 249.72
 *****WINNER***** 0.450  5.887 234.98 E3                  1.243 15.744  51.81

Cheeseman's reaction time wasn't really as bad as the numbers show, the clutch going out on the car when he hit the throttle, sparks and smoke and stuff coming out from under the body when he tried to launch. Stidham will face Austin in the finals, Austin with lane choice.