Sat, 30 Oct 2004, 03:31 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual Budweiser Shootout:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Cory McClenathan                        6 Brandon Bernstein
E1                   0.100  4.568 322.19     ****WINNER****  0.076  4.572 323.43
 Qualified:             #4 5                                    #5 4

12:07 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 28.01 inches, adjusted altitude 2,985 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Bernstein gets the holeshot, but McClenethan starts reeling him in. He goes ahead at half-track, then Bernstein pulls back around and pulls away for the win. Bernstein blows the engine as he goes through the lights. Brandon Bernstein's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.017), 330 ft(0.004), 660ft(-0.002), 1,000ft(0.009). MOV: 0.0209 seconds (approximately 10 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  319 Scott Kalitta                         757 David Grubnic
E1                   0.073  6.712 136.10     ****WINNER****  0.055  4.914 295.79
 Qualified:             #3 6                                    #6 3

This was a smokefest, Kalitta going up in smoke about 100 feet out, then Grubnic about 300 feet out. They both pedal, Grubnic recovers a little better than Kalitta, then goes on through for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tony Schumacher                         9 Doug Herbert
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  4.551 317.87                     0.093  8.006  89.63
 Qualified:             #2 7                                    #7 2

Herbert gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires, and has to give up on the run. Schumacher goes right down the groove and runs the quickest of the round so far. He will have lane choice over Grubnic in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Larry Dixon                             2 Doug Kalitta
E1   ****WINNER****  0.081  4.567 323.50                     0.090  7.111 154.55
 Qualified:             #8 1                                    #1 8

Kalitta strikes the tires about 300 feet out, stays on the throttle until half-track, then finally gives up on the run. Dixon goes right down the groove and takes the win. He will have lane choice over Bernstein in the next round. Three of the four drivers left in competition have never won the shootout, Dixon being the only one that has.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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