Sun, 29 Oct 2000, 01:40 PM HOUSTON-2 - Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Funny Car at the 4th annual Matco Tools SuperNationals presented by Racing Champions:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  14 Ron Capps           5.007 275.00  Q    6 Bob Gilbertson      4.934 308.28
   (J Epler     ) 0.497  4.858 310.20  E1   (J Toliver   ) 0.494  4.966 307.72
                  0.496  5.456 214.89  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.493  4.997 305.49

1:29 PM We have just a few minutes to go while they finish the clean up from Grubnic's incident. Gilbertson, in the Stewart & Stevenson sponsored Funny Car waits along side Ron Capps mount. The call goes out to fire the next pair. The upsets continue. Capps ran a 4.85 in the prior round but falls to tire smoke. Gilbertson now has six straight round wins at Houston Raceway Park. The bigger news is that Capp's loss clinches John Force's tenth World Championship.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   8 Tony Pedregon       4.948 304.39  Q   16 Johnny Gray         5.022 297.42
   (D Skuza     ) 0.508  4.895 299.46  E1   (B Sarver    ) 0.527  4.968 303.84
 *****WINNER***** 0.521  4.903 312.35  E2                  0.502  8.546 107.33

Gray has the clock strike midnight on his weekend. After taking the final qualifying spot in the quickest field in history and beating Sarver in round one, he smokes the tires. Pedregon was right down the middle.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 John Force          4.878 311.77  Q   10 Frank Pedregon      4.949 305.84
   (C Powell    ) 0.510  4.847 313.00  E1   (G Densham   ) 0.510  5.144 273.72
 *****WINNER***** 0.504  5.002 294.95  E2                  0.510  9.586  95.12

Force moves into the semi final against Bob Gilbertson. Pedregon was right with Force until about 400 feet and then the tires began to smoke. Gilbertson has the lane choice over Force in the next round but when he staged Force won the title war.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 Whit Bazemore       4.919 313.00  Q   13 Phil Burkart        4.993 311.41
   (T Johnson Jr) 0.551  4.946 311.77  E1   (T Wilkerson ) 0.546  7.009 205.13
 *****WINNER***** 0.526  4.940 312.35  E2                  0.520 15.099  77.65

This race was over at the hit as Burkart appeared to have leaked something under one tire. As soon as he hit the pedal the car made a right turn towards the wall and started to smoke the tires. Bazemore made sure that he remained a player this weekend as he runs a 4.9 and a big mph. He did lose the lane choice to Tony Pedregon in the next round and Tony will be looking to move on and perhaps face the Boss in the final.