Sun, 07 Apr 2013, 14:40 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                          745 Brittany Force               
E1                   0.090  5.595 146.29     ****WINNER****  0.081  3.846 324.67
 Qualified:             #6  3.844 277.83                       #11  3.855 325.37

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 22 percent, barometer 27.72 inches, adjusted altitude 4,219 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

This is the first time Kalitta and Force have faced each other in eliminations. This is the 7th time that Doug Kalitta has raced a woman in eliminations. He is 33-12 against the other six that he has raced..It will also be the 78th different driver he has faced in his career. Force is out of the gate first and never trailed as Kalitta is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Force gets here first round win. She runs her quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                      21 Terry McMillen               
E1                   0.082  6.412 160.00     ****WINNER****  0.076  5.249 131.41
 Qualified:             #5  3.824 319.14                       #12  3.861 323.27

McMillen is 2 - 1 against alBalooshi in prior events. Khalid alBalooshi is one of two TF races to have won at least one round at all three races so far this year (Antron Brown is the other). This one is a pedal fest as both cars smoke the tires early and McMillen is able to get his car to hook up enough to get to the finish line first for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  735 Steve Faria                           255 Clay Millican                
E1                   0.110  4.706 167.24     ****WINNER****  0.080  3.814 325.37
 Qualified:            #15  4.342 198.70                        #2  3.797 325.85

This is the first time Faria and Millican have faced each other in eliminations. This is Clay Millican's 5th time as the #2 qualifier and it is his best starting spot ever and his best since the Norwalk race in 2007. Millican after watching the two cars ahead of him go up in smoke, Elliot made the decision to switch lanes and moved over to the right lane. Millican is out of the gate first and never trailed as runs the quickest pass of the round so far. Faria's car went silent around 700 feet and coast across the finish line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Brandon Bernstein                       1 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.106  5.205 134.56     ****WINNER****  0.048  3.811 321.81
 Qualified:            #16  4.862 165.56                        #1  3.780 320.43

Brown is 14 - 10 against Bernstein in prior events. This is Antron Brown's 33rd #1 spot overall and the 22nd of his Top Fuel career. This is only the fourth time in his career that Brandon Bernstein has qualified 16th and he has never won a round from that spot. Brown with a great light and never trailed as Bernstein is up in smoke by 330 feet and clicked it off. Brown with the quickest pass of round now for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  497 Troy Buff                               2 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.075  6.442  90.81     ****WINNER****  0.104  3.853 321.88
 Qualified:            #14  4.126 253.52                        #3  3.807 325.06

Schumacher is 6 - 0 against Buff in prior events. Troy Buff is making his first start of the year. In six previous tries he has never beaten Tony Schumacher. Buff is out of the gate first but starts to haze the tires around 150 feet and clicks it off. Schumacher was straight down Broadway for the win, but will give up lane choice to Force in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                           4 Shawn Langdon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.091  3.887 315.12                     0.056  4.294 245.72
 Qualified:            #13  3.979 268.87                        #4  3.812 290.32

Langdon is 5 - 3 against Grubnic in prior events. Langdon with a starting line advantage and then starts to haze the tires and pedals it but can't catch Grubnic. Grubnic with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Grubnic's engine lets go right in the lights and puts some oil on the track. That will cost him 10 points. Grubnic will have lane choice over McMillen in the next round

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Spencer Massey                          8 Bob Vandergriff              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.045  3.834 321.88                     0.053  3.854 323.74
 Qualified:            #10  3.848 319.29                        #7  3.846 326.00

Massey is 4 - 3 against Vandergriff in prior events. This is the third time on the first four races this year that Spencer Massey has started from the bottom half of the field. In the entire 2012 season he started from the bottom half of the field twice. Massey with a slight starting line advantage and then runs his quickest pass of the weekend and takes the win by 0.0287 seconds (approximately 14 feet). Massey will give up lane choice to Millican in the next round. Vandergriff had a real nice pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                          475 Steve Torrence               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.043  4.410 204.39                    -0.126  3.849 320.13
 Qualified:             #9  3.846 319.29                        #8  3.846 320.89

Torrence is 5 - 4 against Lucas in prior events. Torrence is real red and gives Lucas the easy win. Lucas went up in smoke early, but still gets the win. Lucas will give up lane choice to Brown in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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