Sun, 10 Feb 2008, 05:00 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 48th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                          743 Morgan Lucas                 
E2                   0.411  4.594 325.85     ****WINNER****  0.081  4.564 322.73
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Todd      ) 0.142  5.992 168.89      (B Vandergrif) 0.065  4.546 331.77
 Qualified:             #5  4.521 334.65                        #4  4.514 333.33

1:38 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 16 percent, barometer 28.93 inches, adjusted altitude 2,651 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Something bad happen to Will at the green! A 0.411 RT is just not like her at all. Lucas had better numbers and would have been tough to beat! Good run for the Lucas/Torco Racing Fuel Team.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  123 Antron Brown                          796 Cory McClenathan             
E2                   0.062 16.894  47.41     ****WINNER****  0.064  4.530 329.34
 Prior rounds:
E1    (U Erbacher  ) 0.104  4.522 329.26      (B Bernstein ) 0.044  4.518 329.34
 Qualified:             #1  4.495 330.07                        #8  4.532 329.58

Brown's magic weekend is over at the hit, as the slicks are up in smoke at the green. McClenathan basically repeats on his first round performance and takes an easy one into round three, with lane choice over Lucas.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                             2 Rod Fuller                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.054  4.551 310.05                     0.092  4.691 297.75
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Buff      ) 0.079  4.512 331.61      (D Grubnic   ) 0.055  4.494 326.24
 Qualified:             #2  4.497 325.14                       #10  4.539 327.51

Dixon wire to wire. He cards a respectable 0.858 sixty foot time and then just pulls steadily away for the easy win. The car slowed on the top end, when the blower belt broke. Any chance the Caterpillar Team had went away with a blower bang near the top end.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Doug Herbert                            1 Tony Schumacher              
E2                   0.056  4.678 315.42     ****WINNER****  0.078  4.511 331.45
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Bradshaw  ) 0.078  4.644 325.06      (D Kalitta   ) 0.077  4.508 328.30
 Qualified:            #11  4.545 327.98                        #3  4.513 331.53

Last pair of the session. Herbert gives Schumacher a run for his money with a better RT at the green. The Army car has the power and starts a march to the finish line for a strong finish.

1:54 p.m. He will have lane choice over Dixon in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink