Sun, 23 Feb 2020, 13:29 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 36th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  614 Shawn Reed                              2 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.051  3.711 330.07
 Qualified:             #9  3.749 325.92                        #8  3.740 323.50

Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 28.93 inches, adjusted altitude 1,952 feet, track temperature 73 degrees.

Since they first paired the No. 8 and No. 9 qualifiers against each other in round 1 the No. 8 driver has won 18 of the 30 matchups in Top Fuel. No No. 9 TF qualifier has ever made it to the final round in Arizona.

Doug Kalitta's only win here came in 2001. He is just 12 - 9 in his first round matches at this event.

Kalitta is 4 - 2 against Reed in prior events.

Reed leaves before the tree is activated to give Kalitta the win. Kalitta launched hard and kept it hooked up to make his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.121, 660ft-2.983/292.39 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Clay Millican                         333 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.082  3.750 321.42     ****WINNER****  0.069  3.717 321.65
 Qualified:            #10  3.772 319.14                        #7  3.733 325.45

Langdon is 12 - 7 against Millican in prior events.

Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Shawn Langdon's MOV: 0.0465 seconds (approximately 22 feet). Langdon runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

Millican with his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5050 Scott Palmer                         1211 Justin Ashley                
E1                   0.121  3.843 288.21     ****WINNER****  0.031  3.717 312.21
 Qualified:            #12  3.778 322.96                        #5  3.707 322.81

This is the first time Palmer and Ashley have faced each other in eliminations.

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

Palmer pitched the blower belt on the top end.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  565 Terry Totten                            3 Brittany Force               
E1                   0.108  8.635  84.50     ****WINNER****  0.078  3.643 337.92
 Qualified:            #16  4.126 269.08                        #1  3.670 327.11

Brittany Force has been runner-up here three times. In the history of this race the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel is 31 - 4 in round 1.

Force with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. She makes her quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win. She sets both ends of the track record. This is the second fastest pass in the history of Top Fuel and the sixth quickest pass in the history of Top Fuel. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.815 sec., 330ft-2.077, 660ft-2.927/298.40 mph. She will have lane choice over Kalitta in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1301 Doug Foley                            777 Leah Pruett                  
E1                   0.087  5.328 127.81     ****WINNER****  0.081  3.654 331.12
 Qualified:            #14  3.878 311.13                        #3  3.680 328.06

Leah Pruett won here in 2016 and 2017 and was runner-up last year.

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

Pruett with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. She runs her quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win.

Foley started to haze the tires and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  759 Jim Maroney                             1 Steve Torrence               
E1                   0.026  4.436 190.35     ****WINNER****  0.095  3.717 325.69
 Qualified:            #15  4.018 266.11                        #2  3.671 326.48

Steve Torrence won here in 2018.

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

Maroney with a great light, but Torrence has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win. He ties Langdon's E.T. and will get lane choice based on his faster mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  123 Antron Brown                           21 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.072  3.729 326.95                    -0.085  3.691 323.89
 Qualified:            #13  3.786 324.44                        #4  3.696 326.79

Antron Brown's three wins at this event are the most for any active Top Fuel driver. He is a stunning 11 - 1 in round 1 here with his last opening round loss coming in 2010.

Brown is 20 - 5 against McMillen in prior events.

McMillen goes red and then runs his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. MeMillen's E.T. is the third quickest of the round.

Brown is straight down the groove with his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win. He will give up lane choice to Ashley in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Austin Prock                            5 Billy Torrence               
E1                   0.058  9.008  78.60     ****WINNER****  0.084  3.683 322.73
 Qualified:            #11  3.775 314.24                        #6  3.714 328.14

Billy Torrence is the defending event champion.

Torrence is 2 - 0 against Prock in prior events.

Prock with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke right at the hit.

Torrence launched hard and kept it hooked up and makes the third quickest pass of the weekend for the win. His quickest pass of the weekend, but will give up lane choice to Pruett in the next round.Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.096, 660ft-2.952/294.82 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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