Sun, 15 May 2016, 11:30 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

COMMERCE, Ga. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 36th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pritchett                          2 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.071  3.950 303.23     ****WINNER****  0.077  3.743 320.28
 Qualified:             #9  3.822 303.50                        #8  3.811 319.82

Weather conditions: air temperature 65 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.33 inches, adjusted altitude 1,503 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Schumacher is 4 - 1 against Pritchett in prior events. For his career Tony Schumacher is 25 - 18 at this track, the only track on tour where he has never won the event. Pritchett with slight starting line advantage, ut was dropping cylinders right from the start. Schumacher had the lead by the time they went by the Christmas tree and never trailed form there on for the win. Schumacher with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Pritchett popped and banged right in the lights, pitching the blower belt off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Clay Millican                           7 Brittany Force               
E1                   0.105  3.785 320.74     ****WINNER****  0.081  3.765 319.29
 Qualified:            #11  3.868 312.64                        #6  3.777 320.51

Millican is 4 - 1 against Force in prior events. This was a good drag race...Force with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. She runs her quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Brittany Force's MOV: 0.0441 seconds (approximately 21 feet). Millican 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
  323 Chris Karamesines                       3 Richie Crampton              
E1                   0.306  6.383  98.26     ****WINNER****  0.131  3.749 325.92
 Qualified:            #15  4.149 278.75                        #2  3.761 321.50

Karamesines is 1 - 0 against Crampton in prior events. Crampton with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Karamesines started to lose traction early and pedaled it and it didn't hook up so he clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Terry Haddock                           5 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.067  3.737 328.22
 Qualified:            #16  4.177 284.51                        #1  3.731 328.70

Doug Kalitta won here in 2005 & 2006. Doug's win in Houston was his 39th and that places him in a tie for 9th place on the all-time nitro win list and his 934 total rounds ranks tenth in all of the pro classes. The top qualifier in the dragster class has only won this race three times in the last 26 years. Kalitta is 2 - 0 against Haddock in prior events. Haddock did the burnout and the rpms were real high when he returned to the starting line and had a fuel leak, so he was shut off. Kalitta launched hard and was just a few ticks off his qualifying time for the win on the single. He will have lane choice over Schumacher in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  386 Kyle Wurtzel                          373 J.R. Todd                    
E1                   0.040  3.853 309.84     ****WINNER****  0.056  3.759 326.00
 Qualified:            #14  4.015 278.92                        #3  3.762 323.81

This is the first time Wurtzel and Todd have faced each other in eliminations. This is the 4th start for Kyle Wurtzel. Wurtzel with the starting line advantage, but Todd had the lead by the time they went by the Christmas tree and never trailed for there on for the win. Todd with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Todd will have lane choice over Force in the next round. Wurtzel runs his career quickest pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5050 Scott Palmer                            8 Steve Torrence               
E1                   0.106  4.029 288.33     ****WINNER****  0.124  3.766 325.69
 Qualified:            #13  4.008 295.08                        #4  3.771 324.12

Steve Torrence won this race in 2012..This is the 53rd start for Scott Palmer. This is the first time Palmer and Torrence have faced each other in eliminations. Palmer with the starting line advantage and the drops some cylinders early and the engine lets go around 330 feet. Torrence had the startling line advantage made up by the time they went by the Christmas tree and never trailed for there on.for the win. Torrence with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  303 Pat Dakin                               1 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.098  3.820 303.50     ****WINNER****  0.071  3.749 317.57
 Qualified:            #12  3.878 295.34                        #5  3.775 319.45

Antron Brown has won this event six times, four in Top Fuel and two in Pro Stock Motorcycle. He is the defending event champion..This is Pat Dakin's 201st race. Brown is 3 - 1 against Dakin in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win, he runs his quickest pass of the weekend. He will have lane choice over Torrence in the next round. Dakin was dropping cylinders early, but still runs 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                          6 Shawn Langdon                
E1                  -0.037  6.183 112.37     ****WINNER****  0.067  3.749 326.48
 Qualified:            #10  3.843 319.37                        #7  3.783 319.52

Langdon is 14 - 2 against McMillen in prior events. McMillen goes red and is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicks it off. Langdon launched hard and was straight down the groove for the win. Langdon ties Crampton's E.T. and will earn lane choice over Crampton in the next round based on his faster speed.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Top Alcohol Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations
Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Competition Eliminator Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Top Dragster Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 05- POMONA 2 - Event Preview
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Competition Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Stock
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Stock Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Gas