Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual
Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
7 Cory McClenathan 13 David Baca
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.070 4.558 325.85 0.054 4.646 314.75
Qualified: #9 4.569 325.53 #8 4.553 326.32
11:03 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent,
barometer 28.95 inches, adjusted altitude feet, track temperature 88 degrees.
Baca has a word on the wing that says it all 'Spoiler'. Funded out of their own pocket they hope
to upset Cory Mac. Not going to happen. He leaves on Cory but loses the lead early in the
run.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
91 Larry Dixon 5 David Grubnic
E1 0.059 4.551 325.69 ****WINNER**** 0.067 4.534 324.36
Qualified: #7 4.517 330.39 #10 4.571 323.12
Dixon won his first ever Top Fuel event here in 1995. It's not going to happen again today
as Aussie Dave puts him away early.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
743 Morgan Lucas 115 Rit Pustari
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.059 4.550 321.12 0.128 4.629 315.78
Qualified: #6 4.510 321.96 #11 4.601 308.43
This is tenth race Lucas has qualified for and six of those times it has been in the top
half of the field. This is the seventh time Pustari has qualified and he tied his career best
E.T. this weekend. Lucas with a big starting line advantage has just a little wiggle on the top
end, but gets the win. Pustari with a nice pass, but will go home.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Brandon Bernstein 10 Scott Weis
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.103 4.544 330.80 0.102 5.380 182.82
Qualified: #5 4.508 333.74 #12 4.676 303.91
This is Bernstein's 33rd start and all but one of those have been from the top half of the
field. They leave together, but then around half track Weis started dropping cylinders and
that was the end of his day. Bernstein remains unbeaten here with another great looking pass
and the second consecutive pass over 330 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
4 Scott Kalitta 5050 Scott Palmer
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.112 4.553 326.63 -0.007 4.647 312.13
Qualified: #4 4.500 327.82 #13 4.678 295.27
Kalitta holds a four to two advantage over Palmer in head to head match ups. Palmer turns
on the red light and Scott remains undefeated for the year with a nice looking pass.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
8 Doug Herbert 241 John Smith
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.089 5.888 287.35 0.086 5.910 243.33
Qualified: #3 4.499 330.63 #14 4.699 282.30
They leave together and then Herbert is up in smoke right off the starting line. Then Smith
loses traction and was pedaling it and was sideways and back, but stayed with it. Herbert was
off the throttle and back on it and was able to get it to hook up and chase Smith down right
before the finish line for the win. Doug Herbert's incremental margins (negative if behind):
60ft(-0.031), 330 ft(-0.562), 660ft(-0.369), 1,000ft(-0.129). MOV: 0.0194 seconds
(approximately 7 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 Doug Kalitta 835 Andrew Cowin
E1 0.095 5.960 210.64 ****WINNER**** 0.087 5.139 205.16
Qualified: #2 4.490 327.19 #15 4.717 296.57
Cowin is out of the gate first and then Kalitta started to smoke the tires right off the
starting line. Kalitta pedaled it but was back up in smoke, but stayed with trying to chase
Cowin down as he lost traction. Cowin was in the other lane smoking the tires, dropping
cylinder and blowing up parts all the way down from half track on. Right before the finish line
Cowin lost his blower belt as did Kalitta when he was trying chase him down. Andrew Cowin's
incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.022), 330 ft(0.180), 660ft(0.620),
1,000ft(0.845). MOV: 0.8294 seconds (more than 100 feet).
There is oil and parts in Cowin's
lane and this is third oil down for him this year and that will cost him 10 points and
$1000.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Tony Schumacher 345 Bruce Litton
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.096 4.477 329.10 0.008 6.429 135.73
Qualified: #1 4.474 317.12 #16 4.854 295.66
This is the 13th time Schumacher has qualified number one. He holds a three to two
advantage over Litton and all of their match ups have been in round one. This is the fourth
time Litton has qualified 16th and has never won from that position. Litton with a great
light and then loses traction around 330-foot mark and that will be the end of his weekend.
Schumacher with a great looking pass for the quickest pass of eliminations and now has the two
quickest passes of the weekend.
Tony Schumacher's incremental margins (negative if behind):
60ft(-0.046), 330 ft(0.024), 660ft(0.313), 1,000ft(0.982). MOV: 1.8644 seconds (more than 100
feet).
Lucas will have lane choice over Herbert, Grubnic will have lane choice over Cowin,
Bernstein will have lane choice over S. Kalitta, and Schumacher will have lane choice over
McClenathan.
Timing data courtesy of
CompuLink
