Sun, 28 Sep 2008, 12:30 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  123 Antron Brown                           91 Larry Dixon                  
E1                   0.069  3.881 307.30     ****WINNER****  0.046  3.877 306.40
 Qualified:             #9  3.871 310.05                        #8  3.865 308.50

Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 49 percent, barometer 29.81 inches, adjusted altitude 2,260 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

This is Dixon's 304th start and he has won this race twice, '02 and '04. Brown has qualified for 166 races in a row including his Bike career. Brown is 3 - 2 against Dixon in prior events. This was a great drag race as Dixon gets the starting line advantage and never looks back to put the No. 2 in points on the trailer. Dixon was just a tick off his qualified time just like Brown. Larry Dixon's MOV: 0.0270 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  796 Cory McClenathan                        5 Bob Vandergriff              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.069  3.888 305.08                     0.066  3.903 306.60
 Qualified:            #10  3.873 310.13                        #7  3.861 312.13

McClenathan is 14 - 7 against Vandergriff in prior events, but Vandergriff holds a 7 - 5 advantage in round one meetings. This is another good looking drag race as they leave together, but McClenathan has the lead all the way down the track. Cory McClenathan's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.013), 330 ft(0.005), 660ft(0.011), 1,000ft(-0.003). MOV: 0.0128 seconds (approximately 6 feet). With this win and Brown's lost McClenathan move into second place in the Countdown to 1.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                         2 Rod Fuller                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.060  3.880 310.63                     0.069  3.897 304.94
 Qualified:             #6  3.859 305.29                       #11  3.909 292.96

Schumacher has won this race in '03 and has two runner-ups, and Fuller has won this once in '05. Schumacher is 15 - 7 against Fuller in prior events, and 3 - 1 advantage in round one meetings including last week. Schumacher with the lead and never looks back to just keep marching toward the Championship. Tony Schumacher's incremental margins: 60ft(0.010), 330 ft(0.007), 660ft(0.012), 1,000ft(0.009). MOV: 0.0269 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  255 Clay Millican                           6 Doug Herbert                 
E1                   0.050  3.972 300.40     ****WINNER****  0.077  3.912 301.54
 Qualified:            #12  3.911 307.58                        #5  3.853 311.49

Millican is 4 - 3 against Herbert in prior events, but Herbert holds a 2 - 1 advantage in round one meetings. Herbert won this race in 1997. Millican with the starting line advantage, but Herbert has it made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree. Doug Herbert's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.002), 330 ft(0.014), 660ft(0.028), 1,000ft(-0.027). MOV: 0.0337 seconds (approximately 15 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                          743 Morgan Lucas                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  3.892 306.81                     0.064  5.588 118.79
 Qualified:             #2  3.826 313.66                       #15  4.001 291.38

This is Lucas' 98th race, and Will was runner-up here in '06. Lucas is 6 - 2 against Will in prior events, and they have raced in round one five times and Lucas has won all of those meetings. Lucas with the starting line advantage, but then started to smoke the tires to bring an end to his weekend. Will with a nice clean pass for the win, but will give up lane choice to McClenathan in round two by 0.004 seconds.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Brandon Bernstein                     303 Pat Dakin                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.123  3.884 308.78                     0.101  3.967 301.60
 Qualified:             #1  3.825 313.88                       #16  4.069 287.66

This is the first time these two have raced and this is Bernstein's 47th different driver. This is the sixth time Dakin has raced here in Memphis and this is his second start in as many tries this year. Dakin with a slight starting line advantage, but Bernstein had the difference made up by 60 feet. Bernstein with a real nice pass, but he will give up lane choice to Dixon in round two by 0.007 seconds.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                          317 T.J. Zizzo                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.055  3.946 304.12                     0.098  5.663 119.40
 Qualified:             #3  3.838 311.20                       #14  3.972 299.20

Kalitta won here in 2006 and this is Zizzo's 14th start and second this year. Kalitta is 1 - 0 against Zizzo in prior events. Kalitta with the starting line advantage and never looked back to take the easy win when Zizzo went up in smoke right off the starting line. Kalitta will give up lane choice to Schumacher in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                           7 J.R. Todd                    
E1                   0.062  4.590 213.70     ****WINNER****  0.067  3.912 308.00
 Qualified:             #4  3.848 311.13                       #13  3.968 303.43

This is Grubnic's 294th start. Todd is 5 - 3 against Grubnic in prior events, and a 2 - 1 in round one meetings. They leave almost together and Grubnic smokes the tires early and Todd blast on down the 1000 feet for his fifth consecutive round win. Todd ties Herbert's E.T, his round two opponent, and will get lane choice because he has the faster mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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