Sun, 28 Oct 2007, 02:54 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 Bob Vandergriff                       743 Morgan Lucas                 
E1                   0.038  8.276 114.61     ****WINNER****  0.114  4.517 326.87
 Qualified:             #8  4.536 330.72                        #9  4.543 328.22

11:01 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 30.09 inches, adjusted altitude 1,181 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

This one was over at the hit. Vandergriff steps on the throttle, loses traction, then backs off the throttle. No problems for Lucas, right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                             8 J.R. Todd                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.032  4.986 216.65                     0.045  7.567 109.80
 Qualified:             #7  4.534 321.42                       #10  4.550 325.30

Dixon dodges a bullet here. He was on a pretty good run, then moves to the right, back to the left, then loses the blower belt about 1100 feet out. Todd was quicker to the sixty foot mark, then strikes the tires, pedals a couple of times, then finally backs off the throttle.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Brandon Bernstein                      11 Doug Herbert                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.072  4.530 326.71                     0.032  4.611 317.57
 Qualified:             #6  4.534 325.69                       #11  4.555 317.42

A great side-by-side, Herbert leaves first and starts to pull away. He holds off Bernstein until the 330-foot mark, then Bernstein drives around and slowly pulls away. The countdown drivers are 2 for 2 so far.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Melanie Troxel                        255 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.514 331.12                     0.040  8.147  89.78
 Qualified:             #3  4.529 330.55                       #14  4.582 322.73

Millican was with Troxel for the first 200 feet or so, then he strikes the tires, pedals once, then aborts the run. Troxel goes right down the center of the lane with her quickest pass of the weekend to take the win. She will have lane choice over Bernstein in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Rod Fuller                              6 David Grubnic                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.049  4.510 330.31                     0.067  4.552 323.50
 Qualified:             #4  4.529 326.32                       #13  4.561 328.94

Two of the countdown contenders have advanced so Fuller needs this to keep pace....and he does. Fuller was moving around a little early in the run but never got out of the groove and makes his quickest pass of the weekend. Grubnic made a great effort, also his quickest of the weekend, but was behind all the way through the run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 David Baca                              9 Cory McClenathan             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.118  4.594 325.45                     0.076  5.252 185.51
 Qualified:             #5  4.532 326.79                       #12  4.557 323.58

Baca and his crew won the Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Championship this weekend. McClenethan gets off the line first and starts to pull away. He extends the lead until just before half-track, then the engine explodes in a big ball of flame. Baca drives around him with another consistent pass and pulls away for the win.

McClenethan will be docked 15 points for the oil down and fined $7,000 for a total of $10,000 this weekend.

David Baca's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.053), 330 ft(-0.073), 660ft(-0.058), 1,000ft(0.182). MOV: 0.6163 seconds (more than 100 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Doug Kalitta                          111 Urs Erbacher                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.063  4.544 326.79                     0.070  6.297 128.62
 Qualified:             #2  4.528 331.04                       #15  4.594 326.48

Erbacher is the reigning European champion. This is his first NHRA start. He made the quickest run of his career on Friday night.

They leave together, then Kalitta starts to pull away. Erbacher gets to the 330-foot mark, strikes the tires, then gives up on the run. Kalitta goes right down the groove to take the win, his fifth round win in a row. He will have lane choice over Dixon in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                      1301 Doug Foley                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.068  4.510 323.50                     0.048  6.938 113.80
 Qualified:             #1  4.482 327.59                       #16  4.597 324.05

Final pair this round, final car in the countdown. Foley leaves first but that was the only time he was out in front. Schumacher drives around before they reach the sixty-foot mark, then starts to pull away. Foley gets just past the 330-foot mark, then strikes the tires and goes up in smoke. Schumacher moves on and makes it 4-4 for the countdown contenders. Schumacher will have lane choice over Lucas in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink