Sun, 30 Jul 2006, 03:31 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

SONOMA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Morgan Lucas                           12 Bob Vandergriff              
E1                   0.095  7.245 112.30     ****WINNER****  0.137  4.844 296.11
 Qualified:             #8  4.605 304.87                        #9  4.607 321.12

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 30.13 inches,adjusted altitude 1,364 feet, track temperature 115 degrees.

Lucas has qualified for 46 races in a row. He is out of the gate first and then starts to smoke the tires and Vandergriff blast on through the 1320 for his 100th round win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  763 Hillary Will                          507 Melanie Troxel               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.046  4.976 236.13                     0.102  6.637 127.26
 Qualified:             #7  4.597 322.27                       #10  4.608 318.54

This the 10th time this rookie season Will has qualified in the top half of the season. This is fifth time in the last six races that Troxel has qualified in the bottom half of the field. Troxel holds a two to oh in head to head match ups. Will with a great light and then never looked back as Troxel started to smoke the tires by 200 feet. Will was hazing the tires from 900 feet on, but will get the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  373 J.R. Todd                             530 Alan Bradshaw                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.093  4.690 295.08                     0.075  8.720  84.41
 Qualified:             #6  4.586 321.19                       #11  4.632 319.52

Since Topeka, J.R. Todd has won the more rounds than anybody else except Schumacher. Bradshaw beat Todd in their only meeting. Bradshaw is out of the gate first, but then is up in smoke and clicked it off. It appeared Todd blew a head gasket around half track but still runs the quickest pass of the session.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Doug Kalitta                           13 David Baca                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.062  4.796 298.01                     0.140  5.233 199.82
 Qualified:             #5  4.582 326.48                       #12  4.642 285.53

THis has to be Kalitta's favorite track has he has five wins and one runner-up here. Baca was a runner-up in 2003 here. Kalitta holds an eight to three advantage in head to head match ups. Kalitta with a great start and never looked back to take the win. Baca started to lose traction around half track and Kalitta was hazing the tires from 800 feet on.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                       700 Steven Chrisman              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.110  4.549 328.22                     0.152  4.872 298.47
 Qualified:             #1  4.486 326.48                       #16  5.259 201.25

Schumacher was runner-up here in 1999 while this is Chrisman's only fifth start of his career. Schumacher is out of the gate first and blast on through for the win. Schumacher with the quickest pass of the session. He will have lane choice over Vandergriff in round two. Chrisman with a career best E.T. and mph pass and his first four-second pass.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Brandon Bernstein                      91 Larry Dixon                  
E1                   0.082  6.717 123.50     ****WINNER****  0.076  4.994 293.98
 Qualified:             #2  4.532 327.11                       #15  4.711 323.89

Bernstein holds a eight to four advantage in head to head match ups. Dixon is out of the gate first and starts to haze the tires and pedals it and then loses the blower belt as he crosses the finish line. Bernstein started to lose traction early and then the car went silent. Dixon with the win and he will give up lane choice in the next round to Will.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Rod Fuller                              6 Doug Herbert                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  4.612 324.44                     0.106  5.022 264.34
 Qualified:             #4  4.569 326.40                       #13  4.695 298.73

Herbert holds a two to one advantage in head to head match ups. Fuller is out of the gate first and then runs the second quickest pass of the session and he will have lane choice over Kalitta. Herbert started to haze the tires around half track and pedaled it and that was the end of his weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 David Grubnic                           9 Cory McClenathan             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.118  4.606 321.58                     0.113  4.699 315.49
 Qualified:             #3  4.554 331.36                       #14  4.700 319.07

This was the best drag race of the first round with Grubnic taking the win light. He will have lane choice over Todd in the next round. McClenathan's time would of been quick enough to win half of the other races of this first round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink