Sun, 11 Nov 2012, 16:57 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 48th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  255 Clay Millican                        7211 Mike Salinas                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.077  5.790 251.16                     0.061 No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Grubnic   ) 0.079  4.421 270.92      (M Lucas     ) 0.106  3.861 304.74
 Qualified:            #11  3.804 320.66                       #14  3.832 309.63

1:39 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 22 percent, barometer 29.09 inches, adjusted altitude 1,805 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Needless to say, this is the first time Millican and Salinas have faced each other in eliminations.

Both cars went up in smoke almost immediately. Salinas' car "banged the blower" and deployed the chutes. Meanwhile, Millican, expecting Salinas to go by at any time, repeatedly pumped the throttle, trying to get enough traction to get to the other end.

Salinas stopped short of the finish line, Millican eventually got to the finish line after close calls with the centerline and the wall, and Millican got the win light.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  796 Cory McClenathan                       12 Bob Vandergriff              
E2                   0.081  4.107 239.23     ****WINNER****  0.079  3.836 323.35
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Langdon   ) 0.068  4.332 284.69      (S Torrence  ) 0.060  3.810 324.83
 Qualified:            #16  3.864 302.01                        #9  3.797 324.28

McClenathan is 17 - 7 against Vandergriff in prior events.

Cory Mac led briefly before the 660-foot marker, but by the time they got there, he was hazing the tires and losing ground. Meanwhile, Vandergriff made an uneventful run to advance to the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Spencer Massey                          6 Brandon Bernstein            
E2                   0.059  3.842 282.66     ****WINNER****  0.052  3.805 323.43
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Brown     ) 0.040  3.915 323.97      (T McMillen  ) 0.048  3.776 323.97
 Qualified:             #7  3.791 325.69                        #2  3.751 328.14

Bernstein is 6 - 5 against Massey in prior events and all the pressure is on Massey, who must win to keep his championship hopes alive.

Bernstein left first, but Massey led by the time they got to the 60-foot marker, they were just about even at the 330, then Massey started to pull away again. Then Massey's car went POP and slowed, Bernstein leading at the marker that counts, the finish line.

Brandon Bernstein's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.016), 330 ft(0.001), 660ft(-0.011). MOV: 0.0446 seconds (approximately 18 feet).

Bernstein will have lane choice against Millican in the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                       5 Tony Schumacher              
E2                   0.064  3.938 322.81     ****WINNER****  0.071  3.764 325.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Kalitta   ) 0.105  3.776 327.51      (J Todd      ) 0.055  3.766 324.59
 Qualified:             #5  3.781 324.20                        #4  3.775 325.69

Schumacher is 2 - 1 against alBalooshi in prior events.

With Antron Brown looking on, both hands bandaged, Schumacher dispatched a backpedaling alBalooshi to advance to the semifinals with lane choice against Vandergriff.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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