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Sun, 26 Feb 2017, 13:49 PM

Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations
By Rick Green





CHANDLER, Ariz. - CONTENTTYPE: LADDER DATA ROUND: 1 CLASS: Top Fuel Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  497 Troy Buff                              25 Clay Millican                
E1                   0.094  3.814 308.57     ****WINNER****  0.077  3.763 322.58
 Qualified:             #9  3.764 321.96                        #8  3.710 320.74
Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 28.68 inches, adjusted altitude 2,268 feet, track temperature 81 degrees.

Millican is 3 - 0 against Buff in prior events.

Millican with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Clay Millican's MOV: 0.0686 seconds (approximately 31 feet).

Buff was right there with him until around the 1/8 mile mark when the car started to haze the tires.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Terry McMillen                          6 Brittany Force               
E1                   0.078  3.760 321.58     ****WINNER****  0.082  3.676 328.94
 Qualified:            #10  3.768 322.11                        #7  3.703 329.42
Brittany Force was runner-up here last year and in 2014.

Force is 10 - 1 against McMillen in prior events.

McMillen with the starting line advantage, but Force had the lead when they went past the Christmas tree. Force with her quickest pass of the season and tied to her career best for the win. She ties her own pass for the seventh quickest in the history of Top Fuel.

Brittany Force's MOV: 0.0801 seconds (approximately 38 feet).

Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.824 sec., 330ft-2.089, 660ft-2.949/293.79 mph.

McMillen 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
        Bye                                 777 Leah Pritchett               
E1                                            ****WINNER****  0.066  3.694 326.48
 Qualified:                                                       #1  3.658 329.34
Leah Pritchett is the defending event champion. With her win in Pomona she became the 47th driver to lead the Top Fuel points. She set the record in qualifying and the last time someone set the Top Fuel E/T record in Phoenix was in 1996.

Pritchett with a great looking pass, straight down the groove. She will have lane choice over Millican in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  700 Steven Chrisman                         1 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.126  4.245 206.35     ****WINNER****  0.067  3.711 324.28
 Qualified:            #15  4.771 162.96                        #2  3.667 328.78
Antron Brown won here in 2009, 2012 & 2014….Steve Chrisman starts from the #15 spot, and the last time a TF driver won an opening round match in Phoenix from the position was in 2005. Brown is 5 - 0 against Chrisman in prior events.

Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will give up lane choice to Force in round two.

Chrisman with a good pass until just past half track and then clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Terry Haddock                           8 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.131  3.929 304.46     ****WINNER****  0.080  3.684 329.91
 Qualified:            #14  4.292 190.43                        #3  3.667 323.89
Tony Schumacher has 5 wins at this event and that is the most for any Top Fuel driver.

Schumacher is 6 - 1 against Haddock in prior events.

Schumacher with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He runs the second quickest pass of race day. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.827 sec., 330ft-2.098, 660ft-2.958/294.37 mph.

Haddock was on a good pass until right in the lights, when the car got real loose and the engine let go with a huge fireball.

Terry Haddock was charged with an oildown, #2 for the season. That will cost 10 points.

Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  735 Steve Faria                             3 Steve Torrence              
E1                   0.083  4.095 243.94     ****WINNER****  0.096  3.717 326.71
 Qualified:            #13  3.905 311.56                        #4  3.684 325.14
Torrence is 1 - 0 against Faria in prior events.

Faria ran his career quickest and fastest pass during qualifying.

Faria with the starting line advantage, but dropped a cylinder right at the hit. Torrence had the difference made up by the time they went past the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win.

Faria's chute came out, but never blossomed, but he got it stopped without a problem.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  614 Shawn Reed                              2 Doug Kalitta                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.094  3.929 276.35                     0.063  3.971 270.10
 Qualified:            #12  3.836 307.72                        #5  3.695 328.78
Doug Kalitta's win here came back in 2001. Since then he has been to three more finals rounds at this event, the most recent in 2015….Shawn Reed is the #12 qualifier, and in 32 years at this race the 12th qualifier in Top Fuel is 3 - 29 in the opening round.

Kalitta is 1 - 0 against Reed in prior events.

Kalitta with the starting line advantage and has the lead until around 800 feet when it started to haze the tires. Reed was able to chase him down right as it used up an engine with a quick fireball.

Reed picks up his first round win in six attempts.

Shawn Reed's MOV: 0.0118 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

He will give up lane choice to Torrence


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5050 Scott Palmer                          301 Troy Coughlin Jr.            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.103  3.833 317.42                     0.075  3.872 266.21
 Qualified:            #11  3.834 307.79                        #6  3.696 326.48
This is the first time Palmer and Coughlin Jr. have faced each other in eliminations. Coughlin Jr. with the starting line advantage and then lead until the top end when the car started to haze the tires and had a pop and banged. Palmer was able to chase Coughlin down right in the lights for the win.

Troy Coughlin Jr. was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points.

Scott Palmer's MOV: 0.0115 seconds (approximately 4 feet).

Palmer with his career quickest pass for the win, he will give up lane choice to Schumacher in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink




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