Sun, 18 Sep 2005, 01:29 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Doug Herbert                            7 Cory McClenathan             
E2   ****WINNER****  0.093  4.569 319.37                    -0.077  4.570 324.28
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Foley     ) 0.107  4.536 318.39      (S Kalitta   ) 0.092  4.575 322.65
 Qualified:             #3  4.541 318.92                        #6  4.553 319.14

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer 29.93 inches, adjusted altitude 1,348 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Cory Mac holds a 16 to 9 advantage in head to head competition. Cory Mac is way too quick on the tree and Herbert gets the freebie. That was Cory Mac's first red light of the year. Herbert with a great pass straight down the groove.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Doug Kalitta                           91 Larry Dixon                  
E2                   0.103  4.560 322.65     ****WINNER****  0.094  4.552 323.97
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Bernstein ) 0.082  4.520 327.03      (T Zizzo     ) 0.055  4.521 330.23
 Qualified:             #7  4.554 323.58                        #2  4.538 323.43

Dixon holds a 20 to 18 advantage in head to head match ups. This is giant race in the points chase with the number two and three cars facing off here. This was a great looking drag race here with Dixon getting a slight hole shot and the quicker of the two passes to win this wire to wire. Larry Dixon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.013), 330 ft(0.011), 660ft(0.010), 1,000ft(0.016). MOV: 0.0174 seconds (approximately 8 feet). Dixon will have lane choice over Herbert in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  507 Melanie Troxel                        743 Morgan Lucas                 
E2                   0.121  4.558 320.43     ****WINNER****  0.081  4.536 324.98
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.099  4.509 322.65      (J Smith     ) 0.073  4.540 321.73
 Qualified:             #5  4.550 320.20                        #4  4.542 325.06

This is the first time these two have raced and Lucas is out of the gate first and never looked back to take the win light.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                         5 David Grubnic                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.055  4.510 324.44                     0.076 13.938  81.15
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Weis      ) 0.093  4.479 323.12      (D Baca      ) 0.080  4.566 320.97
 Qualified:             #1  4.477 323.35                        #8  4.560 325.30

Schumacher has owned Grubnic beating him 18 times out the 24 times they have raced. Grubnic to help Doug Kalitta out and he will not as he is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Schumacher with a great pass, straight down the groove and for the second round in a row Schumacher with the quickest pass of the session. He will have lane choice over Lucas in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink