Sun, 10 Oct 2004, 01:11 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Doug Herbert                          319 Scott Kalitta
E2                   0.084  4.654 303.57     ****WINNER****  0.101  4.497 321.27
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Lucas     ) 0.089  4.575 324.98      (T Paton     ) 0.072  4.563 320.13
 Qualified:            #11  4.652 305.01                        #3  4.495 321.27

12:56 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 65 degrees, relative humidity 56 percent, barometer 29.44 inches, adjusted altitude 1,157 feet, track temperature 86 degrees.

Herbert had the quicker start but the advantage didn't last long. Kalitta was 0.021 seconds ahead at the 60-foot marker and just kept pulling away for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 Bob Vandergriff                       757 David Grubnic
E2   ****WINNER****  0.084  4.611 295.66                     0.048 No Time
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C McClenatha) 0.089  5.577 283.19      (B Lagana Jr ) 0.103  4.540 324.51
 Qualified:            #10  4.640 299.46                        #2  4.481 326.16

Grubnic launched and shook the tires hard. He tried to stay with it and crossed over the center line by a foot when he got just past the 660-foot marker. Vandergriff's engine let go just as he crossed the finish line. He gave up lane choice to Scott Kalitta in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Rhonda Hartman-Smith                    2 Doug Kalitta
E2   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.658 310.77                     0.064  8.562  98.29
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Dixon     ) 0.100  4.632 310.05      (M King      ) 0.087  4.504 329.83
 Qualified:             #9  4.610 317.34                        #1  4.460 330.88

Kalitta smoked the tires as soon as he launched. He pedaled it, and smoked the tires again so he clicked it off. Hartman-Smith had some tire shake but drove through it for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tony Schumacher                         6 Brandon Bernstein
E2   ****WINNER****  0.091  4.467 324.36                     0.090  7.753 102.32
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Weis      ) 0.102  4.482 329.34      (J Smith     ) 0.123  4.565 327.59
 Qualified:             #4  4.516 319.60                        #5  4.545 326.48

Bernstein needed this win to stay alive in the season championship points race. Schumacher needed it to clinch the championship.

The two cars came off the starting line at almost the same time...just a thousandth of a second apart. Then Bernstein smoked the tires, pedaled it, shook them again and clicked it off. Schumacher got the win and clinched the championship. He'll have lane choice over Hartman-Smith in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink