Sun, 8 Oct 2000, 03:30 PM MEMPHIS - Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 13th annual AutoZone Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  16 Rhonda Hartman-Smi  5.174 203.89  Q    8 Bob Vandergriff     4.654 301.87
   (T Schumacher) 0.547 10.894  73.89  E1   (D Lampus    ) 0.734  5.179 189.42
 *****WINNER***** 0.478  4.810 297.68  E2                  0.488  5.905 149.88

2:10 PM Hartman-Smith got here despite massive tire shake in the first round when Tony Schumacher was unable to compete, breaking a streak of six consecutive first-round losses. She goes to the semifinals for the first time this year when Vandergriff's car grenades the blower at half track, her car right down the groove on a conservative run.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   6 Cory McClenathan    4.619 310.63  Q    3 Doug Kalitta        4.598 313.07
   (K Bernstein ) 0.496  4.699 306.67  E1   (B Baldwin   ) 0.497  6.497 133.91
                  0.505  4.681 295.27  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.503  4.620 308.64

This was a good drag race. They were side-by-side to 330 feet, then Cory Mac's MBNA dragster started skating out toward the wall and it took him most of the rest of the track to get back to the middle while Kalitta was running right down the groove and pulling away, the margin of victory = 0.063 seconds (approximately 27 feet).

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Joe Amato           4.592 306.67  Q   10 Larry Dixon         4.675 303.71
   (B Litton    ) 0.527  4.625 307.51  E1   (D Grubnic   ) 0.484  4.668 305.98
                  0.525  9.354 102.99  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.468  4.743 274.39

Dixon got lucky here, Amato up in smoke instantly. Dixon's run was far from perfect, with several dropped cylinders on the top half of the run. He advances, but loses lane choice to Kalitta.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Gary Scelzi         4.604 311.85  Q    5 Melanie Troxel      4.617 317.34
   (L Novelli   ) 0.516  4.601 312.42  E1   (P Romine    ) 0.504  4.655 269.83
 *****WINNER***** 0.463  4.645 305.70  E2                  0.536  4.659 304.74

Melanie's orders were simple - "stop Big Red." With teammate Tony Schumacher in the hospital, his title chances hinged not only on being able to return to the cockpit soon, but on minimizing the damage caused by his not being able to earn any more points here. The only way to do that was to stop Scelzi from earning any more. But Scelzi had orders of his own, and he took a huge holeshot advantage, then extended it slightly to win by a margin of victory = 0.087 seconds (approximately 39 feet). He also earned lane choice against Hartman-Smith in the semifinals.




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