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Sun, 17 Feb 2013, 14:44 PM

Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations
By Rick Green





POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  255 Clay Millican                           4 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.048  3.811 321.42     ****WINNER****  0.043  3.803 294.37
 Qualified:            #10  3.799 325.77                        #7  3.784 326.56
Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 37 percent, barometer 28.85 inches, adjusted altitude 2,127 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Langdon is 4 - 3 against Millican in prior events. Langdon with a slight starting line advantage and then never trailed for the win. Langdon was dropping some cylinders on the top end but held on for the win by 0.0136 seconds (approximately 6 feet). Millican with his second quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Antron Brown                           91 Larry Dixon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.055  3.855 293.60                     0.060  3.881 310.34
 Qualified:             #4  3.768 328.14                       #13  3.829 317.94
Larry Dixon has won this race four times..This is Larry's 17th start at the Winternationals and only the third time he has started from the bottom half of the field. The last time he was in the bottom half was 1997.

Dixon is 16 - 4 against Brown in prior events. Brown with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Brown started mixing up cylinders on the top end and then the engine let go right at the finish line, but he held on for the win. Antron Brown's MOV: 0.0315 seconds (approximately 14 feet). Dixon with a nice pass, until on the top end when it dropped some cylinders.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  745 Brittany Force                          5 Brandon Bernstein            
E1                   0.096  3.822 323.43     ****WINNER****  0.035  3.785 324.44
 Qualified:            #15  3.845 293.22                        #2  3.761 325.22
Force is the first of three rookie drivers to have qualified for the Top Fuel field, with Pruett and Frigo the other two. Bernstein is out of the gate first and Bernstein runs the quickest pass of the day, so far. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.144, 660ft-3.040/283.55 mph. Force with her quickest pass of the weekend and her first pass over 300 mph in a losing effort. Bernstein will have lane choice over Langdon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  288 Sidnei Frigo                            2 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.093  3.849 317.57     ****WINNER****  0.069  3.756 326.40
 Qualified:            #16  3.858 299.20                        #1  3.753 324.05
This is Tony Schumacher's 72nd #1 spot and his third at the Winternationals. He has only won once in his last sixteen times as the top qualifier.

The last number one qualifier in TF to win this race was Mike Dunn in 1999.

Sidnei Frigo is the first driver from South America to qualify for a pro field at an NHRA race. He is he 84th different driver that has faced Tony Schumacher.

Schumacher with the starting line advantage and then runs low E.T. of the round and just off his No.1 qualifying pace for the win. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.131, 660ft-3.017/287.90 mph. Frigo with his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend in a losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pruett                            22 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.046  3.850 309.56     ****WINNER****  0.041  3.799 326.71
 Qualified:            #14  3.842 316.60                        #3  3.763 328.06
Doug Kalitta won here in 2009..Leah Pruett is the 78th driver to face Doug Kalitta in eliminations and the sixth different woman. Kalitta with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win as he runs the third quickest pass of the round. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.055/283.79 mph. Pruett with a nice pass, just a few ticks off her qualifying pace.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                           44 David Grubnic                
E1                   0.057  3.764 328.14     ****WINNER****  0.069  3.741 325.69
 Qualified:            #12  3.814 325.06                        #5  3.776 299.40
Morgan Lucas won this race in 2011. Lucas is 11 - 10 against Grubnic in prior events. Lucas with the slight starting line advantage, but Grubnic has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree. Grubnic with the quickest pass of the event for the win by 0.0113 seconds (approximately 5 feet). David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.126, 660ft-3.001/288.33 mph. Lucas with his quickest pass of the weekend and third quickest of the round in the losing effort. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.146, 660ft-3.026/287.66 mph. Grubnic will have lane choice over Brown in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Bob Vandergriff                        99 Khalid alBalooshi            
E1                   0.049  3.810 324.36     ****WINNER****  0.079  3.769 326.40
 Qualified:            #11  3.813 324.83                        #6  3.777 325.61
alBalooshi is 2 - 1 against Vandergriff in prior events. Vandergriff with the starting line advantage and the lead until right around half track when alBalooshi drove around him for the win. Khalid alBalooshi's MOV: 0.0119 seconds (approximately 6 feet). alBalooshi with his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.029/287.23 mph. Vandergriff with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.062/283.37 mph. alBalooshi will have lane choice over Kalitta in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Steve Torrence                          3 Spencer Massey               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.034  3.787 322.81                     0.060  3.763 326.63
 Qualified:             #8  3.789 322.58                        #9  3.793 323.97
Spencer Massey is the defending champ. Massey is 5 - 2 against Torrence in prior events. Torrence with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Steve Torrence's MOV: 0.0021 seconds (approximately 12 inches). torrence with his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.143, 660ft-3.036/283.79 mph. Massey with his quickest and fastest pass in a losing effort. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.130, 660ft-3.022/285.53 mph. torrence will give up lane choice to Schumacher in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink




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