Sun, 11 Nov 2001, 04:25 PM POMONA 3 - Federal-Mogul Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Federal-Mogul Funny Car at the 37th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Jay Payne           5.652 253.75  Q    8 Steve Harker        5.783 249.81
   (M Littlefiel) 0.566  5.641 253.47  E1   (V Moats     ) 0.514  5.802 247.16
                  0.569  5.667 248.66  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.492  5.738 242.54

Margin of victory = 0.006 seconds (approximately 2 feet). A very close race! Harker gets the hole shoot and keeps the lead for the win.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   3 Bucky Austin        5.713 250.60  Q    6 Von Smith           5.731 252.05
   (D Taylor    ) 0.529  5.711 251.91  E1   (B Williamson) 0.493  5.680 251.06
                  0.515  5.700 250.74  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.477  5.711 252.19

Smith may have more trouble than he needs! After using up Austin with a hole shot for the win, he has a parachute failure. He bounces down the track, hard on the brakes, and skips over the sand and slows to a stop with the nose of the body just touching the dreaded catch net. Austin improved on his qualifying time and ends up about 10 feet behind Smith at the stripe.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 Pat Austin          5.721 251.91  Q    4 Steve Gasparrelli   5.719 250.55
   (D Gordon    ) 0.488  5.779 251.30  E1   (T Branch    ) 0.478  5.697 254.52
                  0.484  5.696 252.47  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.465  5.669 252.28

Two West Coast heavy hitters are up next. The qualifying numbers say that this will be close race. After a short delay to retrieve Smith's Funny Car from the sand, the call to fire the engines is made. Gasparrelli is away first and takes the win. Austin is all over the lane at mid-track and can't make up the time.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Marc White          5.696 250.37  Q    7 John Weaver         5.752 247.16
   (S Palmer    ) 0.526  5.736 250.88  E1   (K Kinsley   ) 0.490  5.748 249.07
 *****WINNER***** 0.474  5.668 251.25  E2                  0.466  6.886 132.73

Weaver is away first and may have hurt the engine near the top end. White has a bunch of tire shake and uses the entire lane getting to the traps for the win.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink