NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

11:26 a.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 88 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 29.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,578 feet, track temperature 117 degrees. Ron Capps is the defending event champion. He also won here in 2006 and went to the final round in 2003, 2005 and 2012. Only three Funny Car drivers have ever had back-to-back wins at this track. Del Worsham won here in 1991 and 2005. This is the 62nd head-to-head meeting between these two and that is the seventh most of any two Funny Car competitors. Capps got out of the gate first and looked okay for 300 feet. Then he shook and smoked the rear tires, the back end of the car got loose and Capps had to pedal the car to straighten it out. Worsham launched and he smoked the rear tires too. He tried to pedal it and kept up with Capps but Capps managed to stay out in front for the win.

This is the fifth time this year that Courtney Force has qualified in the number one spot in the order. She has yet to win from the top spot in 2017. It is also the 15th time she has been the top qualifier in her career and that moves her into a tie with her sister Ashley for 13th spot on the Funny Car list. For the record, Ashley got her 15 number one spots in 92 races while this is the 129th race for Courtney. The number one qualifier in Funny Car has won this race in three of the last four years. Diehl's car started smoking the rear tires as soon as he launched. He clicked it off and coasted down the track. Force's car lost some cylinders but she took it down the groove for the win.

Hight was 1 - 0 against Todd in prior events coming into this race. Todd launched and smoked the tires right away. He got off the throttle just a few feet out from the starting line. Hight's car lost a cylinder coming off the starting line and smoked the rear tires at about 330 feet. He pedaled the car, got the rear tires hooked up again and went on to take the win.

Campbell launched, shook the tires hard and the chutes came out before he reached the 330 foot marker. Beckman had a little tire shake but he drove through it to take the win.

John Force has won here in Englishtown four times. His fourth win here tied him with Kenny Bernstein for the second most wins in the class. Don Prudhomme has the most Funny Car wins here at six. Cruz Pedregon won here three times and his win here in 2014 was his last win in NHRA Funny Car. This is the 102nd time that these two have met, and that is the most head-to-head meetings between any two professional drivers. Force won 68 of the previous 101 races. Force got off the starting line first and was out in front at 330 feet. The car started shaking and spinning the rear tires. Force pedaled it a couple of times and every time he did, the front end of the car started to lift up and the back end bounced. In the other lane, Pedregon had his own problems as his car was also shaking the tires and he was pedaling to make the track. Force was still out in front at the eighth-mile marker but then Pedregon managed to get by him to take the win. Pedregon will race Beckman in the next round and Beckman will have lane choice.

Tim Wilkerson won this race in 2008. Alexis DeJoria was runner-up here in 2015. DeJoria was 4 - 3 against Wilkerson in prior events. DeJoria was quicker out of the gate and stayed out in front for the win. Wilkerson's car trailed not far behind. He actually managed to close the gap at 330 feet but then his car made a move toward the center line and that took away any chance of catching DeJoria. She'll have lane choice over Capps in round two.

Tommy Johnson won here in 2007. He was 4 - 0 against Tasca III in prior events. This time, Johnson was late out of the gate. Tasca was way out in front and led the race at 330 feet, but then the rear tires of his car started to spin and smoke. That let Johnson get by Tasca for the win. Johnson will have lane choice over Hight in the next round.

Matt Hagan has won this race twice. Matt's win in Epping was his 25th win and that is the ninth most wins among all Funny Car drivers. Lindberg was 1 - 0 against Hagan in prior events. Lindberg was quicker off the starting line but Hagan made up the difference and led the race at 60 feet. After than, it was Hagan all the way as he extended his lead and took the win. Hagan will have lane choice over Courtney Force in the second round.