Sun, 23 Jul 2006, 06:01 PM Top Fuel Round 3 Eliminations

By Rick Green

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 3 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
   10 Rod Fuller                              4 David Grubnic                
E3                   0.081  5.151 259.26     ****WINNER****  0.098  4.808 305.63
 Prior rounds:
E2    (D Kalitta   ) 0.089  4.900 229.90      (H Will      ) 0.116  4.742 307.23
E1    (M Strasburg ) 0.098  4.655 320.20      (M Lucas     ) 0.094  4.682 321.42
 Qualified:             #2  4.578 322.19                        #3  4.595 323.89

Weather conditions: air temperature 97 degrees, relative humidity 35 percent, barometer 28.92 inches,adjusted altitude 3,871 feet, track temperature 132 degrees.

Fuller is out of the gate first and has the lead until just before half track when he starts to smoke the tires and has to pedal it. Grubnic dropped a cylinder or two on the top end, but takes the win light and moves into his third final round of the season.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  373 J.R. Todd                               1 Tony Schumacher              
E3                   0.044 15.176  41.50     ****WINNER****  0.104  6.258 279.09
 Prior rounds:
E2    (D Baca      ) 0.082  4.781 295.66      (A Bradshaw  ) 0.183  4.657 323.43
E1    (M Troxel    ) 0.058  4.682 311.05      (B Vandergrif) 0.085  4.599 323.89
 Qualified:            #13  4.733 302.69                        #9  4.662 305.84

Todd was late getting to the staging lanes, Skull Shine team came rolling through the staging lanes as Grubnic and Fuller are racing. Todd with the starting line advantage and then is up in smoke right off the starting line. Schumacher is up as soon as he hits the throttle. They both are off and on the throttle at least two times a piece and Todd had the car completely sideways before he had to lift. Schumacher is going into his third consecutive final round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink