Sun, 23 Jul 2006, 04:31 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals presented by Lucas Oil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  373 J.R. Todd                              13 David Baca                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.082  4.781 295.66                     0.082  8.497 102.40
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Troxel    ) 0.058  4.682 311.05      (C McClenatha) 0.091  4.777 301.13
 Qualified:            #13  4.733 302.69                        #5  4.642 319.90

Weather conditions: air temperature 92 degrees, relative humidity 43 percent, barometer 29.06 inches,adjusted altitude 3,456 feet, track temperature 132 degrees.

They leave together and Baca is up in smoke right off the starting line and Todd blast on through for his sixth consecutive round win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  763 Hillary Will                            4 David Grubnic                
E2                   0.109  4.920 272.56     ****WINNER****  0.116  4.742 307.23
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Herbert   ) 0.114  4.903 279.67      (M Lucas     ) 0.094  4.682 321.42
 Qualified:             #6  4.642 314.83                        #3  4.595 323.89

Will with a slight starting advantage, but Grubnic has the difference made up by 150 feet and then Will started hazing the tires just before half track. Grubnic said in his top end interview it was spinning the tires from half track on, but takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Doug Kalitta                           10 Rod Fuller                   
E2                   0.085  5.068 154.76     ****WINNER****  0.089  4.900 229.90
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Dixon     ) 0.067  4.669 310.20      (M Strasburg ) 0.098  4.655 320.20
 Qualified:             #7  4.656 324.20                        #2  4.578 322.19

They leave together and then Kalitta shook the tires hard and pedaled it and then lifted the front end and smoked the slicks. He then pedaled it again and almost caught Fuller who had a big engine explosion right before the finish line. Fuller will give up lane choice to Grubnic in the semifinal to Grubnic. The Safety Safari is rolling and Fuller has oil so this will cost him 10 points and $1000.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  530 Alan Bradshaw                           1 Tony Schumacher              
E2                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.183  4.657 323.43
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Bernstein ) 0.071  6.115 218.02      (B Vandergrif) 0.085  4.599 323.89
 Qualified:            #16  4.827 311.49                        #9  4.662 305.84

Bradshaw didn't make the call, so Schumacher will get the freebie into the semifinals. Schumacher with a great pass, straight down the groove with the quickest pass of the session and lane choice over Todd in a rematch of last week's final.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink