NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

11:46 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 61 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 30.00 inches, adjusted altitude 1,552 feet, track temperature 86 degrees.Top Fuel round One was crazy! Bob Tasca is 17 - 4 in Rd. 1 this year. Tasca on this race in 2021 (Beat A. DeJoria) and has 14 national event wins overall (12 in FC. 2 in TAFC), with 3 wins in 2022. This is his 278th race overall. Paul Lee is 2-10 against Tasca. Lee has 3 National event wins in TAFC. And his 127th race overall. This is his 15th race this year.Tasca III is 10 - 2 against Lee in prior event. Lee is dead late and then smokes the tires right off the line. No problems for Tasca, as he marches his Mustang right on down to the finish line on a great looking pass. Bob Tasca III's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.238, 660ft-3.147/283.01 mph.

Matt Hagan wins 81% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. Hagan is a 3 time FC World Champion (2011, 2014 & 2020), with 43 national event wins He won this race in 2011, 2013 & 2014 (All 3 wins were against Team Force drivers. 2 vs. J. Force & 1 vs. R. Hight). Steven Densham is making his 10th start. This is his 141st race overall and his 7th race this year. Hagan is 1 - 0 against Densham in prior events. UPSET! Hagan smokes the tires after a much better RT and can't get the Charger to recover. His Championship hope dim. Densham had a hole out, but ran to the finish line for the win. Steven Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.356, 660ft-3.330/260.91 mph.

Cruz Pedregon is 38 - 5 in Rd. 1 when starting #2. He is a two time FC World Champion (1992 & 2008), with 42 national event wins (38 FC. 3 TAD. 1 TAFC). His Last win: Las Vegas-2, 2021. This is his 645th race overall. Jason Rupert is the 102nd driver to face Cruz in eliminations. This is his 87th race overall and his 5th race this year. This is the first time Rupert and Pedregon have faced each other in eliminations. Another victim in the left lane. Rupert is up in smore early and coasting. Pedregon runs another strong eighties pass to take the easy win. Cruz Pedregon's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.223, 660ft-3.129/284.15 mph. 11:57 a.m. Time out for the track guys to work on the lanes!

12:06 p.m. Back to racing. Ron Capps has qualified #1 34 times and won the race 8 times. He is the 2016 & 2021 FC World Champion, with 73 national event wins (72 in FC. 1 in TF). He already has 5 wins in 2022. Last win: Dallas, 2022. This is his 608th race overall. Jeff Arend qualified #16 and in the last 20 years the #16 FC qualifier is 1 - 19 in Rd. 1 at this event. This is his 252nd race overall and the his 4th race this year. Capps is 19 - 5 against Arend in prior events. They leave the starting line just 0.001 apart, but Arend joins the "Up In Smoke" right off the line. Capps continues his chances for the Championship with another strong pass. Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.227, 660ft-3.123/287.96 mph.

Robert Hight is 21 - 0 in Rd. 1 this year. He is a three-time World Champion (2009, 2017 & 2019), with 61 national event wins. He has 8 wins in 2022. The last win: St. Louis, 2022. This is his 396th race overall. Chad Green has a winning record (2 - 1) against Hight and he is 2 - 0 against him this year. This is his 28th race overall Green is 2 - 1 against Hight in prior events. Green is second off the line and runs his best times of the weekend to no avail. Hight continues his march to the Championship with a straight and true pass for a decisive win. He will keep lane choice over Tasca in the next round.

Alexis DeJoria wins 62% of her Rd. 1 races when she has lane choice. She has 8 national event wins overall (6 in FC. 1 in TAFC. 1 in Super Comp). Last win: Bristol, 2021. This is her 194th race overall. The Dunn Team is running their classic black and white "Moon Equipped" wrap this weekend. The crew shirts also match the theme. Car owner Jim Dunn competed at the 1969 NHRA World Finals (Dallas, TX). This is his 124th start is his 137th race overall and his 6th race at this event. DeJoria is 6 - 1 against Campbell in prior events. DeJoris gives up a bunch off the line and loses a cylinder shortly after. The Supra drives towards the center line and she is still able to stay in her lane, but slows her ET. She will still have lane choice over Densham next round. Campbell loses a hole further down and fights his car too.

John Force is 40 - 19 in Rd. 1 when qualified #7. John Force has the most wins here among active drivers with eight. He also has the most round wins here with 73 to date. Force is a 16 Time World Champion (Last was 2013), with 155 national event wins with one win in 2022. This is his 831st race overall and won this race in 1988, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 & 2010. Blake Alexander is 0 - 5 against J. Force and 0 - 2 this year. He has 2 National event wins (Both in TF), with the last win: Sonoma, 2018. This is his 99th race overall. Force is away first and pulls steadily ahead for an easy win. He give up lane choice to Pedregon next round. Alexander is chasing hard until about the 330 lights, where the tires come loose and he has to lift.

Tim Wilkerson is 266 - 265 in Rd. 1 in his career. Wilkerson has 23 national event wins overall (22 FC. 1 TAFC), with 2 wins in 2021. This is his 570th race overall. J.R. Todd is 7 - 3 against Wilkerson in Rd. 1. He was the 2018 FC World Champion, with 19 National event wins (9 in TF. 10 in FC). His last win: Gainesville, 2021. This is his 277th race overall (152 in TF. 125 in FC) Todd is 13 - 6 against Wilkerson in prior events. Wilkerson makes his best run of the weekend after being second off the line. He runs right on down th track for the decisive win. He will give lane choice to Capps in the next round. Todd's starting line advantage quickly vanished, as his Supra dropped a cylinder and then smoked the tires right before the 330 lights. Tim Wilkerson's MOV: 0.4316 seconds (more than 100 feet).J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.356, 660ft-3.329/242.02 mph.Tim Wilkerson's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.235, 660ft-3.143/284.03 mph. 12:24 p.m.