Wilkerson powers to final at Atlanta's NHRA Southern Nationals
Posted by: Kelly Topolinski
ATLANTA, Ga. (May 7, 2017) – Under the direction of driver, tuner, and team owner Tim Wilkerson, the Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Shelby Mustang Funny Car was receptive to what Atlanta Dragway had to offer this weekend at the 37th annual NHRA Southern Nationals. Wilkerson, a 20-time NHRA Funny Car winner, wheeled his way to the 38th final round of his career and came up just short in a head-to-head meeting with Ron Capps. With the final round performance, Wilkerson moved into the top 10 and all the way up from eleventh to No. 8 in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car standings.
"I think everybody in the pits knew that we weren't going to stink forever," said Wilkerson, whose Atlanta performance marked his first final this season and first since Houston of last year. "They knew I was going to get my stuff together one of these days. We had some lucky rounds today, but we'll take 'em."
Wilkerson, the No. 6 qualifier, took out Jonnnie Lindberg in the first round, 3.914-second at 325.22 mph to 4.383, 253.23. With lane choice in the second round over Jack Beckman, Wilkerson had an advantage and used it wisely. He dialed up a 3.991, 313.22 and effectively piloted the LRS nitro machine to victory over a tire-smoking Beckman, who clocked out for the day on a 4.665, 184.02.
The semifinals marked Wilkerson's lucky round, and although he was in trouble down-track, opponent Matt Hagan was suffering in the opposite lane a whole bunch worse. Wilkerson won it on a 4.426, 244.56 to a 7.197, 110.13.
"I told [Team LRS team member Richard] Hartman, I'm not going to go up there for the final and do what I did in the semis," said Wilkerson, who won the Atlanta race in 2015 with a final-round defeat of Capps. "I told him I was going to go up there and try to run a 3.95 or 3.96, and if they could outrun that and beat us, then that's how it was going to be. I ran a 3.97."
Capps took a chunk at the starting line, leaving with an advantage that he cashed in for the win at the top end, 3.991, 317.79 to Wilk's 3.978, 316.60.
"That's okay, today was a good deal. Going into these summer months, we'll have something for them every weekend, I think," said Wilkerson. "I'm proud of my guys – they really did a good job today, and we were up there before everybody every run, and that's pretty good. We'll take our car back home, take all of our junk apart from the last three races, put it all back in a pile again, and see what we can do at Topeka."
**Find full results at DragRaceCentral.com**
What's Next
The next event on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour will be the NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kan., May 19-21.
Tim Wilkerson
Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Shelby Mustang
Eliminations results
Round 1: Tim Wilkerson def. Jonnie Lindberg, 3.914-second at 325.22 mph to 4.383, 253.23
Round 2: Wilkerson def. Jack Beckman, 3.991, 313.22 to 4.665, 184.02
Round 3: Wilkerson def. Matt Hagan, 4.426, 244.56 to 7.197, 110.13
Final round: Ron Capps def. Wilkerson, 3.991, 317.79 to 3.978, 316.60
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Funny Car Standings
(after Atlanta, race 7 of 24)
1. Ron Capps, 633
2. Matt Hagan, 539
3. John Force, 490
4. Robert Hight, 437
5. Tommy Johnson Jr., 427
6. Jack Beckman, 426
7. Courtney Force, 405
8. Tim Wilkerson, 329
9. J.R. Todd, 326
10. Jonnie Lindberg, 318