Sun, 21 Oct 2007, 03:46 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Torco Top Fuel at the 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series, IHRA World Finals Presented by The U.S. Air Force featuring UTI CHampionship Sunday:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  429 Jeff O'Neill                         2813 Scotty Cannon                
E2                  -0.113 20.997  77.51     ****WINNER****  0.063  4.824 276.13
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T MCMILLEN  ) 0.094  4.755 314.68      (B LAGANA JR ) 0.132  4.933 261.22
 Qualified:             #7  4.841 301.33                        #1  4.603 307.72

3:33 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.81 inches, adjusted altitude 1,613 feet, track temperature 109 degrees.

O'Neill flinched, drawing a very red bulb, and Cannon got a free pass to the final round. His car was trailing a lot of unburned fuel on the top end and the track crew took a good look at his lane before firing the next pair.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  345 Bruce Litton                          373 Kevin Jones                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.125  4.707 313.07                     0.093  5.076 236.34
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L NOVELLI   ) 0.108  4.679 316.82      (T ZIZZO     ) 0.055  5.142 228.92
 Qualified:             #2  4.610 311.27                        #9  7.253 117.43

The track was clean, so the final pair fired as soon as the track was clear. Litton, perennial runner-up to Clay Millican, finally has the prize he has sought for so many years, but winning this event would be icing on the cake.

Jones left first, but Litton made that up in the first 60 feet and was already going away when Jones had an explosion atop the engine, pieces and parts flying in all directions. It looks like it was all shrapnel, with no oil, since all that's rolling are the tractor and the blowers.

2007 Champion Litton will have lane choice against Cannon in the final round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink