Sun, 13 Nov 2022, 14:53 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 57th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  356 Tony Schumacher                        51 Clay Millican                
E1                   0.066  6.873  97.33     ****WINNER****  0.055  3.746 282.84
 Qualified:             #8  3.701 331.77                        #9  3.705 331.04

Weather conditions: air temperature 58 degrees, relative humidity 55 percent, barometer 30.01 inches, adjusted altitude 1,392 feet, track temperature 86 degrees.

Tony Schumacher qualified eighth and since 1970 the No. 8 Top Fuel qualifier is 28 - 23 in round 1 at this event. Clay Millican is 13 - 34 against Schumacher, 34 losses are the most for him against any opponent.

Millican with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Millican started to haze the tires and then appears to have pushed out head gasket. He gets the win, when Schumacher goes up in smoke right at the hit.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Josh Hart                              10 Doug Kalitta                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.068  3.801 320.28                     0.078  4.113 255.92
 Qualified:            #11  3.712 311.92                        #6  3.693 329.42

Doug Kalitta wins 78% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. Josh Hart is 13 - 8 in Rd. 1

Kalitta is 2 - 1 against Hart in prior events.

Hart with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.

Kalitta started to lose traction early and pedaled it.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pruett                            40 Alex Laughlin                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.959 150.20                     0.073  6.518 121.61
 Qualified:             #4  3.669 329.67                       #13  3.773 319.14

Leah Pruett wins 70% of her Rd. 1 races when starting in the top half of the field. Alex Laughlin is 2 - 15 in Top Fuel.

This is the first time Pruett and Laughlin have faced each other in eliminations.

Pruett with the slight starting line advantage. Laughlin started to lose traction and pedaled it, but was back up in smoke and clicked it off.

Pruett started to lose traction and mix up cylinders, she pedals it a couple times. The engine lets go with a huge fireball. She holds on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  700 Steven Chrisman                         2 Brittany Force               
E1                   0.105  4.794 176.53     ****WINNER****  0.059  3.701 334.90
 Qualified:            #16  3.894 311.70                        #1  3.641 338.94

Brittany Force has won 32 straight Rd. 1 races when qualified #1. Steve Chrisman ran his first race here in 1983. Brittany Force was born in 1986.

Force is 3 - 0 against Chrisman in prior events.

Force with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Force with the quickest pass of the round. She will have lane choice over Millican in the next round.

Antron Brown and Steve Torrence are eliminated from the Championship chase with Force picking up the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  725 Krista Baldwin                       7211 Mike Salinas                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  4.309 192.88                     0.136  9.036  86.20
 Qualified:            #14  3.863 306.95                        #3  3.666 331.45

Mike Salinas is 17 - 4 in Rd. 1 this year. Krista Baldwin is making her eighth start.

Salinas is 2 - 0 against Baldwin in prior events.

Baldwin with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Baldwin wins her second round of racing. She will give up lane choice to Hart in the next round.

Salinas is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off. That is the end of his Championship hopes.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7727 Ron August                              1 Steve Torrence               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.119  3.903 316.67                     0.087  4.267 244.38
 Qualified:            #15  3.886 315.71                        #2  3.647 332.10

Steve Torrence is 47 - 2 in Rd. 1 when starting #2. Ron August is making his eighth start in Top Fuel.

This is the first time August and Torrence have faced each other in eliminations.

Torrence with the starting line advantage, but is up smoke. He pedals it a couple times and never gets it to hook up.

August chases him down by half track and takes the win. This is his first career round win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Shawn Langdon                         374 Austin Prock                 
E1                   0.051  7.377  87.80     ****WINNER****  0.055  3.711 329.34
 Qualified:            #12  3.751 324.59                        #5  3.689 330.31

Austin Prock is 10 - 11 in Rd. 1 this year. Shawn Langdon is 14 - 6 in Rd. 1 this year.

This is the first time Langdon and Prock have faced each other in eliminations.

Langdon with a slight starting line advantage, but was up in smoke right at the hit.

Prock launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight for the win. He makes the second quickest pass of the round. He will have lane choice over Pruett in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Justin Ashley                           6 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.045  4.070 290.01     ****WINNER****  0.067  3.704 333.82
 Qualified:            #10  3.706 329.42                        #7  3.696 329.26

Antron Brown "leaves first" 67% of the time. Justin Ashley "leaves first" 69% of the time.

Brown is 6 - 3 against Ashley in prior events.

Ashley with the starting line advantage, but Brown has the difference made up by 330 feet and never trailed for the win. Brown with a great pass, the second quickest pass of the round for the win. Brown will have lane choice over August in the next round.

Brittany Force wins the Top Fuel Championship when Brown won the round, eliminating Ashley.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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