Sun, 14 Nov 1999, 05:54 PM POMONA - Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Michael L. Jex Force Thunders

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the 35th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Tony Pedregon       4.955 295.72  Q    5 Jerry Toliver       5.000 303.64
   (T Johnson Jr) 0.500  4.981 304.74  E1   (D Worsham   ) 0.526  5.053 304.87
                  0.476  7.394 154.71  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.480  5.229 306.74

2:32 PM Toliver gives Pedregon a WWF bodyslam - first pedaling beautifully when the tires started to shake and skate, then steering left and right to keep the car straight at the top end of the track. Pedregon's Syntec Mustang lost traction almost immediately.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Ron Capps           4.853 307.72  Q    9 Dale Creasy Jr.     5.071 300.13
   (A Hofmann   ) 0.488  4.970 291.89  E1   (F Pedregon  ) 0.528  5.929 177.02
                  0.531  7.103 136.23  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.511  5.730 243.85

Capps car left quick and hard, a .908 60-foot time. The track just couldn't hold it, lots of tire smoke was the result. Creasy lifted when the motor started mixing things up, he will face Jerry Toliver in the semis and Toliver will have lane choice.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   7 Dean Skuza          5.034 292.65  Q    2 Jim Epler           4.908 312.93
   (B Gilbertson) 0.525  5.036 302.21  E1   (C Lee       ) 0.550  5.056 300.00
                  0.438 11.609  82.62  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.485  5.000 299.13

Skuza blazed the tires at about the same spot as Capps, while Epler streaked down the right lane. We could have an all WWF final round, but someone will have to deal with John Force. Scotty Cannon will try next...

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   3 John Force          4.923 300.46  Q   11 Scotty Cannon       5.188 294.56
   (T Wilkerson ) 0.523  5.082 292.27  E1   (W Bazemore  ) 0.518  5.513 270.81
 *****WINNER***** 0.499  4.836 318.09  E2                  0.500  5.168 289.88

Big burnouts by both Force & Cannon add to the hazy Fairplex sky....

Hello! Force breaks the track speed record on a tremendous pass down the left lane. Just when the rest of the field is struggling to get down to the 5.0's the Castrol Team breaks their backs.

Force will have Epler in the semis, and Dale Creasy Jr. will race Toliver. 2:48 PM