Sun, 15 Nov 2015, 14:32 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, 51st annual Auto Club NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  358 Richie Crampton                        10 Brittany Force               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  3.732 317.49                     0.051  3.759 324.44
 Qualified:             #5  3.735 323.89                       #12  3.794 316.23

Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.78 inches, adjusted altitude 2,406 feet, track temperature 80 degrees.

Crampton is 5 - 4 against Force in prior events. Currently number four and five in points, with Crampton having a 27 point lead. Force with the starting line advantage and the lead until around 400 feet. He then starts mixing up cylinders, but holds on for a close win. Richie Crampton's MOV: 0.0009 seconds (approximately 5 inches). Crampton with the win is now just two points behind Dixon for third place and Dixon is in the next pair.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Langdon                          91 Larry Dixon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.054  3.828 318.24                     0.141  3.821 316.82
 Qualified:            #11  3.774 326.56                        #6  3.737 327.19

Larry Dixon won here in 2008. Larry's four rounds in Las Vegas gave him 933 for his career and that moved him into 8th place on the all-time list..His father, Larry Dixon Sr., competed at the NHRA World Finals four times (1974, '76, '78 and '79)..Shawn Langdon won this race in 2013. He also won here in Super Comp in 2007. This is a race between two former Top Fuel World Champions. Dixon is 11 - 7 against Langdon in prior events. Langdon with the starting line advantage and has the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Dixon dropped some cylinders early and never got it to clean up. Langdon with the win moves in front of Torrence, who has yet to run, for seventh place.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                           25 Clay Millican                
E1                   0.060  8.172  90.46     ****WINNER****  0.074  3.871 318.92
 Qualified:            #14  3.811 271.46                        #3  3.729 319.29

Morgan Lucas is the defending event champion..This is the 13th trip to the NHRA Finals for Clay Millican and the 2nd time he has started from the #3 spot in the field. Millican is 6 - 3 against Lucas in prior events. Lucas with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke right at the hit. Millican started to lose traction and pedaled it and got it to hook back up to take the win. Millican will have lane choice over Langdon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Antron Brown                          796 Cory McClenathan             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.075  3.725 323.58                     0.064  5.391 128.81
 Qualified:             #1  3.721 326.71                       #16  3.904 303.50

Antron Brown has won this race in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Bike. He is the #1 qualifier and the top qualifier at this event has only won four times in the last thirty-eight years..This will be Cory McClenathan's 22nd time at this event and he has won it twice. Brown is 13 - 5 against McClenathan in prior events. McClenathan with a slight starting line advantage and then started to shake and he pedaled it. The car then started smoking the tires and dropping cylinders before he lifted. Brown launched hard and was straight down the groove with the quickest pass of race day for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Terry McMillen                        474 Billy Torrence               
E1                   0.075  3.842 316.08     ****WINNER****  0.092  3.745 328.46
 Qualified:            #15  3.856 317.57                        #2  3.726 331.61

This is the 5th race this year for Billy Torrence and the third time he has started from the #2 spot in the field..This is the 4th start for Terry McMillen at this event. This is the first time McMillen and Torrence have faced each other in eliminations. McMillen with the starting line advantage, but Torrence made up the difference by the time they went by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 J.R. Todd                             497 Troy Buff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.052  3.778 329.91                     0.043  3.845 311.92
 Qualified:             #4  3.732 331.61                       #13  3.808 314.24

Todd is 2 - 1 against Buff in prior events. Buff with the starting line advantage, but todd had the difference made up by 100 feet and never trailed from there on for the win. He will give up lane choice to Crampton in the next round. Buff with a good looking pass in the losing effort. Todd with the win moves in front of Connolly (who has not raced yet) for ninth place.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Doug Kalitta                            1 Tony Schumacher              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.063  3.783 274.33                     0.057  5.732 118.11
 Qualified:            #10  3.771 319.82                        #7  3.745 324.59

Tony Schumacher's four wins are tied for the most by any Top Fuel driver at this event. His last win here came in 2007..Doug Kalitta has lost 45 times to Tony Schumacher and that is, by far, the most losses for him against any driver he has faced. Schumacher is 45 - 31 against Kalitta in prior events. Schumacher with a slight starting line advantage, but is up in smoke early and clicks it off. Kalitta was on a great pass until right in the lights when it banged the blower with a quick flash of flame. Kalitta will give up lane choice to Billy Torrence in the next round. Kalitta with the win moved in front of Force for fifth place.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  335 Dave Connolly                           6 Steve Torrence               
E1                   0.085  4.018 221.13     ****WINNER****  0.044  3.720 329.42
 Qualified:             #9  3.749 327.90                        #8  3.747 324.98

Connolly is 3 - 0 against Torrence in prior events. Torrence with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win as he runs low E.T. of the event for the win. He will have lane choice over Brown in the next round. Torrence with the win moves back in front Langdon in the points chase. Connolly started drifting out of the groove and over by the centerline before he clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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