Sun, 23 Sep 2007, 12:30 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  530 Alan Bradshaw                          73 Whit Bazemore                
E1                   0.071  4.693 302.01     ****WINNER****  0.092  4.557 327.19
 Qualified:             #7  4.577 323.81                       #10  4.586 326.56

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 29.42 inches, adjusted altitude 2,249 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.

This is Bradshaw's best starting position in his 17 professional starts. this is the 84th different driver Bazemore has faced in his career. Bradshaw with the starting line advantage and had the lead until about 400 feet, that was when it dropped a cylinder or two. Bazemore with a nice clean pass, his quickest of the weekend to move into round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  743 Morgan Lucas                            3 Brandon Bernstein            
E1                  -0.013  4.603 323.27     ****WINNER****  0.113  4.534 323.89
 Qualified:             #8  4.581 325.06                        #9  4.585 319.37

Bernstein holds a six to four advantage in head to head match ups. Lucas is too quick on the tree and Bernstein gets the freebie. Bernstein with low E.T. of the event on this picture perfect pass. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.078/276.46mph, 1,000ft-3.854

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  524 Joe Hartley                            12 Bob Vandergriff              
E1                   0.051  8.166 104.19     ****WINNER****  0.109  4.575 323.50
 Qualified:             #6  4.557 329.58                       #11  4.589 328.14

This is only the second time these two have raced with Vandergriff winning the first time. Hartley is up in smoke early and Vandergriff blast on down the 1320 for the win. Vandergriff with his quickest pass of the weekend. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.203, 660ft-3.125/275.96mph, 1,000ft-3.898

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 J.R. Todd                             255 Clay Millican                
E1                   0.113  4.566 318.99     ****WINNER****  0.032  4.610 327.27
 Qualified:             #1  4.541 318.47                       #16  4.648 317.57

This is Todd's second number one qualifier award and he beat Millican the only time they have raced. Millican with a big starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Clay Millican's MOV: 0.0374 seconds (approximately 17 feet). Millican will give up lane choice to Bernstein in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Melanie Troxel                          9 Cory McClenathan             
E1                   0.077  5.819 224.25     ****WINNER****  0.142  5.147 256.94
 Qualified:             #2  4.545 331.94                       #15  4.637 316.52

Cory Mac holds a five to three advantage in head to head match ups. They both start to smoke the tires about the same time and they both pedaled it and they were both back up in smoke, pedaled it one more time and McClenathan got it to hook up a little better than Troxel and will move into the next round. McClenathan will give up lane choice to Bazemore in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Rod Fuller                              1 Tony Schumacher              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.076  4.591 323.58                     0.096  6.158 178.80
 Qualified:             #4  4.552 324.83                       #13  4.608 322.19

This is a battle between the point leaders. Schumacher's car acted real weird when it launched and then smoke the tires. Fuller with a real nice pass for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                             6 David Grubnic                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.083  4.544 317.19                     0.088  4.598 322.50
 Qualified:             #5  4.553 323.89                       #12  4.603 283.01

They leave together and then it was all Dixon as both drivers run their quickest passes of the weekend. Dixon will have lane choice over Fuller in another giant match up.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Doug Kalitta                           10 Hillary Will                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.062  4.601 321.65                     0.109  4.614 327.27
 Qualified:             #3  4.546 328.70                       #14  4.630 323.27

These two have raced each other six time and Kalitta has won every time. Kalitta is out of the gate first and never looked back to take the win light. He will give up lane choice to Vandergriff in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink