Sun, 23 Feb 2014, 13:25 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                     777 Leah Pritchett               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  3.778 325.14                     0.056  4.416 234.00
 Qualified:             #9  3.787 313.80                        #8  3.785 317.94

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 2,352 feet, track temperature 90 degrees.

This is the second time in her brief Top Fuel career (17 races) that Leah Pritchett has qualified in the top half of the field. The other time was at this race last year. This is the first time alBalooshi and Pritchett have faced each other in eliminations. Pritchett with the starting line advantage and then smokes the tires by 300 feet, she had set career best E.T. runs the last three passes. alBalooshilaunched hard and keep it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                         745 Brittany Force               
E1                   0.093  3.826 320.13     ****WINNER****  0.091  3.821 316.97
 Qualified:             #7  3.777 320.28                       #10  3.813 321.04

Grubnic and Force have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. They leave together with Force having the slight edge on the starting line and never trailed for the win. This was a close race all the way down the track. Brittany Force's MOV: 0.0076 seconds (approximately 4 feet). Force has had a very consistent car all weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tony Schumacher                        21 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.098  3.779 326.56                     0.086 10.390  81.69
 Qualified:             #2  3.757 325.14                       #15  4.160 225.75

Tony Schumacher is 13-0 against Terry McMillen and ten of those wins have come in round one. Terry is the #15 qualifier and drivers from that starting spot are 5 - 24 at this event in round one. McMillen with the starting line advantage, but was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Schumacher with a great looking pass, straight down the groove and he will have lane choice over Force in the next round. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.149, 660ft-3.039/286.80 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                         5050 Scott Palmer                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.083  3.781 324.67                     0.137  6.351 106.79
 Qualified:             #1  3.735 327.74                       #16  4.165 249.49

This is Doug Kalitta's 38th #1 spot and that ties him with Cory McClenathan for fourth place on the all-time Top Fuel list..The last time Doug was #1 at the first two races of the year was in 2003..Doug won this race in 2001. Scott Palmer is the 16th qualifier. Drivers from that starting position have just won twice in round one in the history of this race. They did it in the first year of the race, 1985, and the last year of the race, 2013. Kalitta is 5 - 1 against Palmer in prior events. Kalitta with the starting line advantage and never trailed and takes the win with a great looking pass. Palmer was up in smoke around 150 out. Kalitta will give up lane choice to alBalooshi by 0.003 seconds in the next round. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.828 sec., 330ft-2.139, 660ft-3.036/284.21 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                        497 Troy Buff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  3.775 325.22                     0.111 17.163  28.71
 Qualified:             #3  3.758 321.96                       #14  3.989 282.01

Torrence is 2 - 0 against Buff in prior events. Torrence was out of the gate first and never trailed for the win. Torrence with the quickest pass of the round. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.819 sec., 330ft-2.129, 660ft-3.031/283.61 mph. Buff was up in smoke right at the hit.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Shawn Langdon                           6 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  3.745 320.36                     0.094  6.132 100.48
 Qualified:             #4  3.763 323.27                       #13  3.847 313.15

Langdon is 7 - 5 against Millican in prior events. Langdon with the starting line advantage and was on a great looking pass until right in the lights when it dropped a cylinder or two, but he still runs the quickest pass of the day for the win. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.825 sec., 330ft-2.118, 660ft-3.001/288.77 mph. Millican starts to shake and then starts to smoke the tires before he clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Antron Brown                          358 Richie Crampton              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.071  3.825 314.83                     0.083  5.067 149.48
 Qualified:             #5  3.768 323.27                       #12  3.836 316.67

Richie Crampton will be the 100th different driver that Antron Brown has faced in his career, including Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Antron has a winning record against 82 of those drivers. Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed as Crampton was up in smoke right off the starting line. Brown will give up lane choice to Langdon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Bob Vandergriff                         5 Spencer Massey               
E1                   0.117  6.546  90.13     ****WINNER****  0.068  3.826 319.90
 Qualified:             #6  3.772 322.58                       #11  3.821 313.88

This is Bob Vandergriff's 299th race. Massey is 6 - 3 against Vandergriff in prior events. Massey with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win as Vandergriff is up in smoke right off the starting line. Massey will give up lane choice to Torrence in the next round

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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