Tue, 10 Feb 2009, 03:06 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   72 Mike Strasburg                          5 Antron Brown                 
E2                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.081 15.892  26.16
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Massey    ) 0.106  3.997 253.71      (S Faria     ) 0.090  4.222 279.79
 Qualified:             #9  3.980 305.01                        #1  3.708   NS  

11:34 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 1,538 feet, track temperature 72 degrees. It's finally clear weather and reasonable track conditions for round two.

Strasburg is going to be kicking himself for leaving Pomona early. The Matco fueler finds a bunch of ways to lose and still gets the single car win. The tires start to smoke at the green; the blower backfires; and the chute came out. The car stops on the track and has to be pulled to the turnout.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                            3 Cory McClenathan             
E2   ****WINNER****  0.077  3.826  27.38                     0.098  3.886 296.83
 Prior rounds:
E1    (U Erbacher  ) 0.154  4.648 194.49      (S Langdon   ) 0.093  3.934 313.37
 Qualified:            #11  4.016   NS                          #3  3.851 313.66

Great race and Kalitta wins at both ends of the track. The MPH is bogus, but Kalitta was clearly in the lead at the finish line. Looks like pistons though, with smoke off the engine in the lights.

Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.056/279.27 mph.
Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.089/272.28 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                          700 Steven Chrisman              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.048  3.886 305.08                     0.181  5.159 136.02
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Hartley   ) 0.063  3.846 310.20      (D Baca      ) 0.135  4.086 285.59
 Qualified:            #15  4.548 270.81                       #10  4.000   NS  

The last time a "Chrisman" won a round at Pomona was 1962!

He'll have to wait for another win, as Lucas marches down the track from start to finish. Clean pass, close to his first round numbers.

Chrisman was a lot late at the green and then dropped a cylinder before the 330 lights.

Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.099/274.11 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Brandon Bernstein                       1 Tony Schumacher              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.094  3.834 311.49                     0.107  3.865 313.44
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Carter    ) 0.061  4.758 192.69      (D Cox       ) 0.093  3.845 312.42
 Qualified:             #4  3.866 317.42                        #5  3.897 311.99

Looks like 2009 is going to be tough for Team Schumacher.

Bernstein gets the lead at the green and pulls steadily ahead for the 20 foot plus win.

Clean pass for Schumacher, just not good enough to get past the Budweiser car.

Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.065/277.49 mph.
Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.185, 660ft-3.096/277.15 mph.

11:59 a.m. Bernstein will have lane choice over Brown and Kalitta will have choice over Lucas in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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