Sun, 16 Nov 2014, 14:51 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, 50th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Shawn Langdon                           5 Spencer Massey               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  3.758 326.00                     0.043  5.184 138.43
 Qualified:            #11  3.768 323.50                        #6  3.748 326.48

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 2,205 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Massey is 16 - 3 against Langdon in prior events. Massey with the starting lin advantage, but is up in smoke right off the starting line and pedals it and Langdon with a great looking pass, quicker than his qualifying time for the win. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.125, 660ft-3.015/284.99 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Morgan Lucas                          474 Billy Torrence               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.047  3.745 326.40                     0.063  3.766 326.00
 Qualified:             #3  3.738 323.35                       #14  3.799 319.98

This is the first time Lucas and Torrence have faced each other in eliminations. Lucas with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Both cars with great looking passes...Torrence with his career best E.T. in the losing effort. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.127, 660ft-3.007/288.21 mph.
Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.831 sec., 330ft-2.129, 660ft-3.022/284.33 mph. Lucas will have lane choice over Langdon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                          475 Steve Torrence               
E1                   0.064  3.833 314.02     ****WINNER****  0.060  3.787 325.53
 Qualified:             #4  3.745 328.30                       #13  3.790 323.97

Kalitta is 7 - 2 against Torrence in prior events. Torrence with the slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Torrence with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.041/283.01 mph. Kalitta dropped a cylinder right at the hit and never got it to pick back up.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  358 Richie Crampton                       497 Troy Buff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  3.720 320.89                     0.088  3.812 318.84
 Qualified:             #1  3.711 316.30                       #16  3.834 313.00

This is the first time Crampton and Buff have faced each other in eliminations. Buff with the slight starting line advantage, but Crampton had the lead by the time they went by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win. That pass ties Brown for the seventh quickest pass in the history of the NHRA. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.827 sec., 330ft-2.098, 660ft-2.975/289.32 mph. Buff with his career quickest and fastest pass in the losing effort... Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.153, 660ft-3.054/281.89 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Clay Millican                           2 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.084  5.927  97.74     ****WINNER****  0.063  3.746 321.81
 Qualified:            #15  3.825 312.13                        #2  3.720 319.07

Brown is 13 - 1 against Millican in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.832 sec., 330ft-2.124, 660ft-3.003/287.78 mph. Millican started mixing up cylinders early and then the engine let go with a big fireball...the word from the Safety Safari is there is oil on the track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Bob Vandergriff                       373 J.R. Todd                    
E1                   0.073  4.924 141.16     ****WINNER****  0.060  3.765 325.77
 Qualified:            #12  3.774 319.29                        #5  3.745 325.06

Vandergriff and Todd have each won 5 times against the other in prior events. todd is out of the gate first and never trailed for the win. Vandergriff was up in smoke by 330 feet and clicked it off. Todd was straight down the groove for the win. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.136, 660ft-3.022/285.59 mph. He will have lane choice over Torrence in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  142 Dom Lagana                             99 Khalid alBalooshi            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  3.832 312.93                     0.118  4.719 171.71
 Qualified:            #10  3.763 322.42                        #7  3.751 325.85

Lagana with the starting line advantage and was straight down the groove for the win. alBalooshi was up in smoke early to end his season. Lagana will give up lane choice to Brown in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tony Schumacher                        91 Larry Dixon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.057  3.749 327.11                     0.054  3.765 324.67
 Qualified:             #9  3.761 321.27                        #8  3.760 327.03

Tony Schumacher has only started from the bottom half of the field twice this year and both times were at Pomona (Winternationals 10th and this week 9th). Schumacher is 41 - 36 against Dixon in prior events. Dixon with a slight starting line advantage and they are tied when they go by the Christmas tree after that Schumacher takes the lead and the win. Tony Schumacher's MOV: 0.0137 seconds (approximately 7 feet). This was a great drag race...Schumacher with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. He will give up lane choice to Crampton in the next round. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.126, 660ft-3.011/287.29 mph.
Dixon was just a few ticks off his qualifying E.T. in the losing effort. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.138, 660ft-3.023/287.47 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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