Sun, 4 Nov 2007, 04:34 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 43nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   11 Doug Herbert                           12 Bob Vandergriff              
E2                   0.093  4.681 294.11     ****WINNER****  0.103  4.570 310.63
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Baca      ) 0.048  4.624 296.05      (R Fuller    ) 0.049  4.540 331.28
 Qualified:            #14  4.574 314.83                        #6  4.532 333.08

1:10 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 43 percent, barometer 28.86 inches, adjusted altitude 2,480 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.The clouds have started to cover the sun now and again. The track is actually a little cooler than Round One.

Herbert gets a small advantage off the line and has to watch Vandergriff drive on by at 300 feet. It's gets real expensive at the 1000 foot lights, when the engine lights up big time and burns well on down the track. The parachute never really blossoms, but the UPS car slows enough to stay off the beach.

Tune into ESPN2 later tonight. This was a real TV Highlights burner!

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Brandon Bernstein                       6 David Grubnic                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.549 322.19                     0.089  5.020 305.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C McClenatha) 0.095  4.557 327.11      (M Troxel    ) 0.077  4.542 326.00
 Qualified:             #4  4.524 328.54                       #12  4.555 323.81

1:18 p.m. The call goes out to start the engines. The first of our remaining Top Four dragsters comes to the line without lane choice, but it doesn't matter, as Grubnic tires are up in smoke before mid-track. Bernstein goes on to round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  743 Morgan Lucas                            1 Tony Schumacher              
E2                   0.035  4.552 327.90     ****WINNER****  0.064  4.501 330.96
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Foley     ) 0.036  4.562 322.04      (A Bradshaw  ) 0.069  4.508 325.69
 Qualified:             #9  4.541 330.47                        #1  4.508 320.58

Schumacher is staying alive with a great four fifty pass. Lucas is out of the chutes first and stays ahead until right before the 300 mark. AJ Power drives the US Army car on by for a half a car length win. Schumacher will still need to win the race to have a chance at the Championship.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                             8 J.R. Todd                    
E2                   0.055  4.549 318.84     ****WINNER****  0.063  4.508 330.88
 Prior rounds:
E1    (H Will      ) 0.062  4.522 323.81      (D Kalitta   ) 0.043  4.496 334.24
 Qualified:            #10  4.541 322.96                        #2  4.521 328.22

Dixon gets away first and tries to keep his Championship hopes alive. He stays out in front until after mid-track, where Todd's dragster pulls on past and opens almost a full car lead in the lights. J.R. Todd's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.004), 330 ft(-0.013), 660ft(-0.007), 1,000ft(0.011). MOV: 0.0334 seconds (approximately 16 feet).

1:25 p.m. Todd will have lane choice over Vandergriff and Schumacher over Bernstein in Round Three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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