Sun, 6 Nov 2005, 06:53 PM Top Fuel Round 3 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 41st annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 David Baca                            507 Melanie Troxel               
E3                   0.078  4.622 310.70     ****WINNER****  0.083  4.525 328.14
 Prior rounds:
E2    (C Millican  ) 0.097  4.599 290.57      (M Lucas     ) 0.054  4.535 325.92
E1    (J Beckman   ) 0.089  4.509 321.88      (D Foley     ) 0.090  4.510 328.22
 Qualified:             #3  4.485 324.28                        #2  4.473 329.83

3:36 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.26 inches, adjusted altitude 1,867 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Troxel won easily with a great run, but the engine let go in the lights in a big fireball, burning away the chutes when they came out. The TV shots were striking, the injector hat flopping back and forth and dense smoke trailing the car as it bounced down the track. She managed to get the car slowed, but the car went into the sand trap before stopping.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                         3 Brandon Bernstein            
E3   ****WINNER****  0.073  4.528 321.65                     0.045  9.232  87.77
 Prior rounds:
E2    (L Dixon     ) 0.074  4.513 324.67      (D Grubnic   ) 0.074  4.512 321.50
E1    (J Smith     ) 0.077  4.486 326.63      (D Kalitta   ) 0.093  4.498 327.82
 Qualified:             #1  4.466 324.83                        #4  4.491 325.45

Schumacher was trying to tie the record for consecutive round wins - he has 18, the record is 19. He did so easily when Bernstein went up in smoke about 200 feet out. He faces teammate Melanie Troxel in the finals and Troxel has lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink