Sun, 19 Apr 2009, 04:02 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

COMMERCE, Ga. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 29th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Cory McClenathan                      141 Bobby Lagana Jr.             
E2   ****WINNER****  0.138  3.864 317.12                     0.097  3.952 299.26
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Dixon     ) 0.090  3.865 313.44      (B Bernstein ) 0.098  3.991 271.79
 Qualified:            #10  3.901 307.86                       #15  3.976 304.19

3:37 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 29.18 inches, adjusted altitude 2,401 feet, track temperature 83 degrees.

Cory Mac is 3-0 against Lagana, but this is the first time they have squared off in the second round. They are the only two bottom-half qualifiers to get out of the first round, so one there will be a bottom-half qualifier in the semifinals.

Lagana was away first, made his best run of the weekend, but could not hold off the Fram dragster on the top end. Cory McClenathan's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.036), 330 ft(-0.012), 660ft(0.015). MOV: 0.0473 seconds (approximately 21 feet). Good show by Lagana and his bare-bones team, that's his quickest-ever run at 1,000 feet.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  333 Shawn Langdon                         421 Spencer Massey               
E2                   0.086  3.905 308.50     ****WINNER****  0.061  3.851 312.71
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Kalitta   ) 0.065  3.860 312.42      (T Buff      ) 0.069  3.891 307.51
 Qualified:             #8  3.886 305.36                        #1  3.820 311.20

This is the first time these two rookies have faced each other.

Massey won their first faceoff, leading wire to wire, over a car length ahead and pulling away at the stripe.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Antron Brown                            1 Tony Schumacher              
E2                   0.057  4.800 200.50     ****WINNER****  0.073  4.029 254.23
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.074  3.854 314.97      (T McMillen  ) 0.154  4.058 251.91
 Qualified:             #5  3.867 311.63                        #4  3.851 306.19

The winner in this pair will leave here with the points lead - Brown trails Schumacher by just 19 points and none of the other drivers can catch either of them. Schumacher holds a 6-2 career edge against brown, 4-0 in second rounds.

Brown smoked the tires early, Schumacher blew it up before half track - but by then he was far enough in front to get to the stripe first. Schumacher faces Massey in the semifinals, Massey has lane choice. As bad as it was, this was Schumacher's best run so far today, but all that matters is the two win lights.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                           12 Bob Vandergriff              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.085  3.875 309.42                     0.077  4.280 225.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Hartley   ) 0.111  3.860 310.27      (T Haddock   ) 0.062  3.934 304.87
 Qualified:             #3  3.844 308.21                        #6  3.878 314.39

Schumacher's car was a mess after the flamer, but the Safety Safari made quick work of the cleanup. By the way, the teams are not being held to a strict 65 minute turnaround, but "we aren't going to dawdle."

Vandergriff's car had two dead cylinders at the start, then one cleaned up, then the supercharger went BANG and he slowed. Lucas advances on a good run, but McClenathan will have lane choice in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Top Alcohol Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations
Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Competition Eliminator Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Top Dragster Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 05- POMONA 2 - Event Preview
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Competition Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Stock
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Stock Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Gas