Sun, 28 Oct 2007, 05:06 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 2 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
    2 Doug Kalitta                           91 Larry Dixon                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.050  4.559 327.82                     0.069  4.583 317.87
 Prior rounds:
E1    (U Erbacher  ) 0.063  4.544 326.79      (J Todd      ) 0.032  4.986 216.65
 Qualified:             #2  4.528 331.04                        #7  4.534 321.42

1:48 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 15 percent, barometer 29.86 inches, adjusted altitude 2,340 feet, track temperature 111 degrees.

Dixon holds the advantage in head to head match-ups 26-23.

Kalitta plays spoiler here, getting the hole-shot on Dixon, then pulling away and hanging on to put Dixon out. Dixon could take a big hit in his championship hopes if the other three contenders win this round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Melanie Troxel                          3 Brandon Bernstein            
E2                   0.094  4.561 326.79     ****WINNER****  0.048  4.566 327.43
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.067  4.514 331.12      (D Herbert   ) 0.072  4.530 326.71
 Qualified:             #3  4.529 330.55                        #6  4.534 325.69

Troxel has a 4-3 advantage in career match-ups. Bernstein gets the hole-shot win to even it up and keep his championship hopes alive. Bernstein will give up lane choice to Kalitta in round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Rod Fuller                             13 David Baca                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.112  4.557 327.90                     0.108  9.615  73.83
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Grubnic   ) 0.049  4.510 330.31      (C McClenatha) 0.118  4.594 325.45
 Qualified:             #4  4.529 326.32                        #5  4.532 326.79

Fuller and Baca have met twice, both have one one. Baca gets a small advantage off the line, hangs on to the lead to the sixty foot mark, then strikes the tires about 150 feet out and gives up on the run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                       743 Morgan Lucas                 
E2                   0.067  5.614 168.26     ****WINNER****  0.065  4.576 321.35
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Foley     ) 0.068  4.510 323.50      (B Vandergrif) 0.114  4.517 326.87
 Qualified:             #1  4.482 327.59                        #9  4.543 328.22

Schumacher holds a 13-3 career advantage in match-ups with Lucas.

A big upset here, they leave the line together, Lucas starts to inch ahead, then Schumacher strikes the tires about 400 feet out and has to give up on the run. Fuller takes the points lead and will have lane choice over Lucas in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink