NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

10:31 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 82 percent, barometer 30.12 inches, adjusted altitude 1,472 feet, track temperature 87 degrees. Green is 4 - 2 against Haddock in prior events. Green gets out of the gate first and goes down the groove with a clean, straight pass. Haddock rattles the tires at the hit, gets about 200 feet out and clicks it off. Chad Green's incremental times: 60ft-0.881 sec., 330ft-2.288, 660ft-3.250/266.95 mph.

Paul Lee was 11 – 8 in Rd. 1 last year. Spencer Hyde DNQ here last year. Hyde is 1 - 0 against Lee in prior events. Hyde gets the advantage off of the line, gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. lee broke the tires loose at about the same spot and backed off of the throttle. Hyde pedaled it a few times and went on through for the win.

This (#2) matches the best starting spot for J.R. Todd in his last 30 races. Dave Richards is making his 77th start. The #15 FC qualifier has won once in the last 10 years at this event. Todd is 1 - 0 against Richards in prior events. Todd gets a big holeshot, gets about 200 feet out and strikes the tires. He pedals a few times and takes the win. Richards breaks the tires loose about 200 feet out and gives up on the run.

Ron Capps’s 38 #1 spots ties him with Kenny Bernstein for 6th most in FC. The last time the #16 FC qualifier won in Rd. 1 here was 2014. (J. Force) Capps is 2 - 0 against Smith in prior events. Capps gets out of the gate first but rattles the tires, loses a cylinder, then has to back off of the throttle. Smith gets about 200 feet out, pedals once, then the slicks bite and he goes on through for the upset win. John Smith's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.037), 330 ft(-0.212), 660ft(-0.039). MOV: 0.5481 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Matt Hagan wins 81% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. Julie Nataas is making her 4th Pro start. Hagan goes down the groove with the quickest pass of the round and takes the win. Nataas gets about 300 feet out, drives into smoke, then backs off of the throttle. Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.294, 660ft-3.231/276.80 mph. Hagan will have lane choice over Green in the next round.

Cruz Pedregon is 19 – 14 in Rd. 1 at this event. Alexis DeJoria is 3 – 7 against Pedregon in Rd. 1. DeJoria is 13 - 12 against Pedregon in prior events. Pedregon gets the holeshot and starts to pull away. He gets out of the groove, makes a hard move to the right, then takes out the 660 foot timing block. DeJoria strikes the tires early in the run, pedals, then gets the slicks to bite and goes on through for the win. DeJoria will have lane choice over Hyde in the next rond.

Daniel Wilkerson is 27 – 26 in Rd.1. Hunter Green is making his 10th start. This is the first time Wilkerson and Green have faced each other in eliminations. A close one off of the line, they are even at the 60 foot mark. Green loses a cylinder on the right side about 200 feet out and starts falling back. Wilkerson goes down the groove with a clean, straight pass and he takes the win. Daniel Wilkerson's incremental margins: 60ft(0.000), 330 ft(0.077), 660ft(0.167). MOV: 0.2379 seconds (more than 100 feet). Wilkerson will have lane choice over Todd in the next round.

Jack Beckman wins 78% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. Jordan Vandergriff is the 402nd driver to qualify in FC. A good side-by-side, both down the groove with clean, straight passes. Vandergriff gets the holeshot and extends his lead all the way through the run. Beckman makes the third quickest pass of the session in the loss. Jordan Vandergriff's incremental margins: 60ft(0.031), 330 ft(0.035), 660ft(0.049). MOV: 0.0554 seconds (approximately 27 feet). Jordan Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.292, 660ft-3.225/277.94 mph. Jack Beckman's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.289, 660ft-3.236/275.17 mph. Vandergriff will have lane choice over Smith in the next round.