Sun, 04 Oct 2015, 11:45 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 31st annual NHRA Keystone Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Steve Torrence                         91 Larry Dixon                  
E1                   0.084  9.538  83.23     ****WINNER****  0.094  3.882 323.58
 Qualified:             #7  8.814  71.90                        #8  8.855  77.27

Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.69 inches, adjusted altitude 955 feet, track temperature 64 degrees.

Larry Dixon has won here twice, in 2009 & 2010..Steve Torrence's father, Billy, beat Larry Dixon in the first round at the last race in St. Louis. Dixon is 10 - 4 against Torrence in prior events. Torrence was out of the gate first and was up in smoke right at the hit and pedaled it. Dixon start to lose traction around 150 feet and made a quick pedal job and got it to hook up. The car pushed out a head gasket on the top end, but gets the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Antron Brown                           25 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.034  3.742 321.50                     0.074  8.482  79.51
 Qualified:            #12 11.541 103.52                        #3  4.454 177.98

It's hard to believe that this far into the season this will be the first meeting between Antron Brown and Clay Millican this year...This is one of the few tracks on tour where Antron has never won in either Top Fuel or Pro Stock Motorcycle (0-3 in finals here). Brown is 14 - 1 against Millican in prior events. Brown with a geat light and made a great pass, straight down the groove for the win. Millican hiked the front end on the launch and then started to chatter the tires before he lifted.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Doug Kalitta                          142 Dom Lagana                   
E1                   0.063  8.584 112.37     ****WINNER****  0.063  5.150 218.09
 Qualified:             #6  8.092  99.81                        #9  8.880  79.25

Doug Kalitta has one win here (2002)..This is the 36th race for Dom Lagana and 34 of those races have been in Top Fuel.Doug's uncle, Connie, and Dom father, Bobby, both qualified at the first national event at Maple Grove in 1985. Lagana is 1 - 0 against Kalitta in prior events. they leave the line at the exact same time, but Kalitta was up in smoke right at the hit. He was off and on the throttle at least three time, but couldn't get it to hook up. Lagana started to lose traction around 300 feet and pedaled it at least four time and got it to hook up enough to get the win. He will give up lane choice to Brown in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pritchett                          4 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.073  4.442 277.94     ****WINNER****  0.080  4.248 317.19
 Qualified:             #2  3.787 320.74                       #13 14.639  58.79

Shawn Langdon won here in 2013...This is the 40th Top Fuel start for Leah Pritchett and it's her best starting spot (#2). Langdon is 4 - 1 against Pritchett in prior events. Pritchett with the starting line first and then started to lose traction and pedaled it a few times and finally got it to hook up but couldn't catch Langdon. Langdon was a little further down track when he started to haze the tires and pedaled it a couple time and got it to recover and take the win. He will give up lane choice to Dixon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Brittany Force                        335 Dave Connolly                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  3.707 328.46                     0.062  4.443 194.38
 Qualified:             #1  3.725 331.53                       #14 15.477  53.23

Brittany Force vs. Dave Connolly is a 2-for-1 deal, that is, because of the short field the winner gets a bye into the semi-finals. Force is 2 - 1 against Connolly in prior events. Connolly with the starting line advantage, but then started to lose traction and pedaled it, but could get it to hook up and catch Force. Force launched hard and was straight down the groove for the win with quickest pass of the weekend. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.829 sec., 330ft-2.106, 660ft-2.978/292.27 mph. force will get the ye in the next round due to the 14 car ladder.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                         2 J.R. Todd                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.048  3.741 320.51                     0.048  3.776 324.20
 Qualified:             #4  7.776  77.15                       #11 11.443  79.41

Tony Schumacher's 5 wins here are the most in Top Fuel. He is the defending event champion.. J.R. Todd won here in 2006. They leave together with identical reaction times and they both make great looking passes. Schumacher with a great pass until just pass the finish line when he lifts the engine lets go with a big fireball, but he still gets the win. Tony Schumacher's MOV: 0.0351 seconds (approximately 17 feet). The word from the top end is there is oil in Schumacher's lane and this is his second on the season and that will cost him $2000. Schumacher with the second quickest pass on race day. Todd with a great pass, the fourth quickest on race day in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  358 Richie Crampton                       354 Smax Smith                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.133  4.454 268.12                     0.203  6.426 102.91
 Qualified:             #5  7.995  80.39                       #10  9.210  69.14

This is the first NHRA appearance in Top Fuel for Smax Smith who becomes the 550th driver to qualifying for an NHRA event in TF...Crampton with the starting line advantage and then starts to lose traction and pedals it and losses traction again and starts mixing up cylinders. The engine let go around half track with a quick fireball, but held on for the win. It appeared Smith had a fuel line come loose because it appeared fuel was spraying out and he clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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