Sun, 23 Oct 2005, 02:31 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations |
By Larry Sullivan |
LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fifth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
7 Cory McClenathan 5 David Grubnic
E1 0.060 12.860 76.97 ****WINNER**** 0.114 6.874 286.74
Qualified: #8 4.553 324.44 #9 4.564 323.12
11:01 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent,
barometer 28.34 inches, adjusted altitude 2,783 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.Cory Mac
enjoys an 11-5 edge over Grubnic in prior races and has been very consistent here this weekend,
while Grubnic has been up and down, with two competitive runs and two busted runs in qualifying.
However, they do not race on paper. The cars have to line up and race on Sunday and "stuff
happens." Both cars lost traction almost immediately and both drivers pedaled. Cory Mac's car
did not respond, Grubnic's smoked the tires again, but his second effort got enough traction for
him to complete the run, trailing a cloud of partially-burned nitromethane while McClenathan
helplessly coasted down the track.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Brandon Bernstein 2 Doug Kalitta
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.082 4.489 327.11 0.086 5.390 242.80
Qualified: #7 4.544 325.14 #10 4.570 323.97
Doug Kalitta held a 5-4 edge over Bernstein in prior meetings. Both cars were off their
usually quick pace in qualifying, so this looked like a fair race, but Kalitta smoked the tires
almost immediately while Bernstein went on a rocket ride, the car up on the tires and hauling,
right down the groove. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.154,
660ft-3.049/279.90mph, 1,000ft-3.816, for low ET of the weekend.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
8 Doug Herbert 71 Jack Beckman
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.075 6.104 276.52 0.074 8.013 114.30
Qualified: #6 4.528 315.12 #11 4.581 315.34
Beckman is the 71st different opponent Herbert has faced in NHRA Top Fuel competition.
Another pedaling contest and Herbert's experience paid off with a win light. Both pedaled
several times, Herbert getting hooked back up again, Beckman unable to do so.Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 507 Melanie Troxel 1301 Doug Foley E1 0.046 10.377 82.09 ****WINNER**** 0.055 4.714 309.27 Qualified: #3 4.521 328.78 #14 4.653 292.65Foley becomes the 26th different opponent on Troxel's resume. Troxel held an apparent performance edge, but after watching five of the first six cars smoke the tires, all bets were off. Make that six of eight, Foley getting his first-ever NHRA national event round win on a clean pass, not spectacular, but no visible problems. Foley will have lane choice against Herbert in the second round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 743 Morgan Lucas 524 Joe Hartley E1 ****WINNER**** 0.092 5.403 300.86 0.135 6.676 150.61 Qualified: #1 4.508 322.88 #16 4.696 312.50This is the first time Lucas and Hartley have faced each other, Hartley the 20th different opponent Lucas has faced in Top Fuel. Hartley started smoking the tires about 100 feet out, Lucas did the same about 200 feet out. Both pedaled several times, Lucas had more momentum going for him, got there first and will have lane choice against Grubnic in the second round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 104 Clay Millican 1 Tony Schumacher E1 0.048 9.112 75.77 ****WINNER**** 0.081 4.506 330.55 Qualified: #15 4.655 312.28 #2 4.516 325.53Schumacher has blanked Millican in all four prior meetings. Crew Chief Alan Johnson swapped lanes, choosing the right lane. Millican led for about 100 feet, then Schumacher took charge. Millican's car started smoking the tires about 300 feet out and shook when he pedaled it, so he threw in the towel. Schumacher won easily, running the second-best elapsed time of the round and top speed of the weekend, but he will not have lane choice against Bernstein when they meet next round. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.135, 660ft-3.056/272.50mph, 1,000ft-3.832.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 241 John Smith 552 Rod Fuller E1 ****WINNER**** 0.078 4.651 319.14 0.076 4.705 329.58 Qualified: #12 4.592 320.89 #5 4.525 324.20Fuller has come out on top all three times these two have met in prior races, but Smith took charge early when Fuller's car started rattling the tires and he held off Fuller's big top-end charge for the win, Fuller running the second-fastest speed of the weekend in a losing cause.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
4 Scott Kalitta 91 Larry Dixon
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.075 4.591 325.61 0.071 5.965 169.78
Qualified: #13 4.593 321.81 #4 4.524 325.53
Scott Kalitta holds a 14-10 career record against Dixon, but he lost to Dixon in the first
round at Ennis, two weeks ago. Yesterday, a 4.59 was not good enough to win the Budweiser
Shootout, but today it was quick enough to defeat a tire-smoking Dixon and earn lane choice
against Smith in the second round.. Dixon smoked the tires before the 330-foot marker. He
pedaled, but could not fully recover.
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