Sun, 02 Nov 2014, 14:55 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 14th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                      91 Larry Dixon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.068  3.775 320.74                     0.079  3.953 242.23
 Qualified:             #9  3.781 320.36                        #8  3.766 326.71

Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 35 percent, barometer 27.82 inches, adjusted altitude 3,493 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Larry Dixon is 13-9 in round one when starting from the 8th spot in the field. Of the 99 drivers that Larry has faced Khalid alBalooshi is one of only six that he has never beaten. alBalooshi with the starting line advantage and never trailed for win. alBalooshi started mixing up cylinders right in the lights, but still runs his quickest pass of the weekend. Dixon was right there with alBalooshi on a good pass when the engine let got with a huge fireball around 600 feet.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pritchett                          2 Antron Brown                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.053  3.793 320.97                     0.061  3.800 319.90
 Qualified:             #6  3.755 319.29                       #11  3.790 320.89

Leah Pritchett qualified 6th and that is her best starting position ever. She has 6 round wins in her brief career and one of them is over Antron Brown..This is the third time in the five races in the Countdown that Antron has started from the bottom half of the field. He is the defending event champion. Pritchett and Brown have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. Pritchett is out of the gate first and never trailed for the win. Leah Pritchett's MOV: 0.0156 seconds (approximately 7 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  358 Richie Crampton                         9 Bob Vandergriff              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.083  3.831 270.43                     0.053  4.193 203.28
 Qualified:             #4  3.748 325.14                       #13  3.793 320.05

Bob Vandergriff is 7-20 in round one when starting from the lucky number 13 spot. ...Richie Crampton is 18-20 so far in his rookie season. Crampton and Vandergriff have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. Vandergriff with the starting line advantage and the lead until around half track when Vandergriff's engine let go with a big bang and quick flash of flames. Shortly after Vandergriff's engine let go Crampton's engine went silent and the pipes went wet. He wins the coasting contest...the word from the top end was there is oil in Crampton's lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  373 J.R. Todd                             317 T.J. Zizzo                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.069  3.816 290.82                     0.088  3.811 322.88
 Qualified:             #1  3.732 327.43                       #16  3.835 316.15

This is the 6th time that T.J. Zizzo has qualified 16th in the field and he has two first-round wins from that starting spot..This is the 6th time that J.R. Todd has been the top qualifier and he is 4-1 in his previous opening round matches when #1. Todd with the starting line advantage and power to hold on for the hole shot win. Todd was mixing up cylinders on top end but held on for the win. J.R. Todd's MOV: 0.0145 seconds (approximately 7 feet). Zizzo with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Terry McMillen                          5 Spencer Massey               
E1                   0.064  5.794 113.32     ****WINNER****  0.063  4.268 245.72
 Qualified:            #15  3.827 323.04                        #2  3.744 330.39

Spencer Massey was one of only two drivers (Tony Schumacher) to run over 330 mph in qualifying. Spencer won here in 2009. Massey is 9 - 0 against McMillen in prior events. They leave together and McMillen has a hole out right at the hit and then starts to lose traction. Massey is out ahead and then around half track he starts to smoke the tires, he pedals it and then is lose the rest of the way down the track for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                          745 Brittany Force               
E1                   0.071  4.121 251.63     ****WINNER****  0.087  3.789 325.69
 Qualified:             #3  3.747 317.34                       #14  3.805 325.37

Kalitta is 5 - 2 against Force in prior events. Kalitta with the starting line advantage and the lead until around half track when Kalitta starts to haze the tires. Force with her quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  474 Billy Torrence                          7 Tony Schumacher              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  3.769 329.10                     0.085  3.774 328.38
 Qualified:            #12  3.791 326.63                        #5  3.754 329.18

Tony Schumacher has 700 round wins coming into eliminations and that is the most for any Top Fuel driver in history. He is one of only three professional drivers (John Force, Warren Johnson) with 700 or more round wins in their career. He has won this race four times and is the only TF driver with more than one win at this event. Schumacher is 2 - 0 against Torrence in prior events. Torrence with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Billy Torrence's MOV: 0.0123 seconds (approximately 6 feet). This was a great drag race...

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                          1 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.078  4.622 185.46     ****WINNER****  0.064  3.770 318.92
 Qualified:             #7  3.760 327.66                       #10  3.787 301.81

Langdon is 9 - 6 against Torrence in prior events. Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win light as Torrence loses traction. Langdon with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Langdon with the win moves from fourth place to second in the Championship points race.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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