Sun, 14 Nov 2004, 03:47 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  312 Danny Townsend                         79 John Weaver
E2   ****WINNER****  0.078  5.726 244.52                     0.020  6.160 238.85
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Williamson) 0.029  5.701 251.72      (J Carroll   ) 0.058  5.753 246.39
 Qualified:             #7  5.674 253.52                       #17  5.765 245.67

12:31 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 28.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,167 feet, track temperature 90 degrees.

Weaver got his win over Carroll yesterday as an alternate. Today against Townsend he spins the tires hard at the hit and has to pedal. Townsend runs away and gets the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  727 Ron August Jr                           9 Steve Gasparrelli
E2                   0.089  5.716 254.90     ****WINNER****  0.093  5.678 253.14
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Littlefiel) 0.107  5.588 258.22      (B Austin    ) 0.323  5.664 255.34
 Qualified:             #5  5.663 257.04                       #13  5.711 253.09

August set both his career best ET and MPH yesterday in the first round. Gasparrelli needs a tenth and he's in the right lane. Gasparrelli ruins the rest of August's weekend by pulling away as the pair neared the stripe. Nice win for the local team.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6515 Brian Hough                           703 Mark Woznichak
E2   ****WINNER****  0.077  5.649 252.43                     0.161  5.625 255.82
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Thompson  ) 0.079  5.656 252.38      (H Coolidge  ) 0.092  5.676 253.61
 Qualified:             #6  5.673 252.47                        #3  5.633 253.42

The Woz is going to be kicking himself all the way back to Ontario for that light! It's good for him that it's only a few miles away. Hough gets the win and a trip to the semis. Hough has lane choice over Townsend next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Jay Payne                               8 Doug Gordon
E2   ****WINNER****  0.112  5.583 258.07                    -0.091  5.684 243.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (H Wernhart  ) 0.077  5.634 253.85      (D Taylor    ) 0.071  5.697 250.13
 Qualified:             #1  5.557 256.55                        #8  5.677 251.81

Heat on the track means nothing to Payne. He's in the 5.5s despite all the sun on the track. Gordon took a shot at the tree and missed by a country mile. Needless to say Payne has lane choice over Gasparrelli in the other semi-final.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink