Sun, 10 Oct 2004, 11:33 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Larry Dixon                            10 Rhonda Hartman-Smith
E1                   0.082  7.803  98.66     ****WINNER****  0.100  4.632 310.05
 Qualified:             #8  4.581 318.47                        #9  4.610 317.34

11:00 a.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 63 degrees, relative humidity 68 percent, barometer 29.45 inches, adjusted altitude 1,070 feet, track temperature 80 degrees.

Dixon and Hartman-Smith have raced each other 17 times before this. Dixon has won 16 of those meeting with Hartman-Smith winning their first meeting in 1997. This is the third time they've raced this year and Dixon has won the previous two races.

Hartman-Smith got the win this time after Dixon shook the tires hard and backed off the throttle.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Cory McClenathan                       12 Bob Vandergriff
E1                   0.099  9.980  75.29     ****WINNER****  0.089  5.577 283.19
 Qualified:             #7  4.573 310.27                       #10  4.640 299.46

McClenathan won here in 1997. He is 12 and 4 against Vandergriff in eliminations. Both drivers smoked the tires when they launched. Both pedaled, Vandergriff got it hooked up again, McClenathan shook the tires one more time and had to give up this run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  743 Morgan Lucas                            9 Doug Herbert
E1                   0.050  4.848 228.61     ****WINNER****  0.089  4.575 324.98
 Qualified:             #6  4.559 322.81                       #11  4.652 305.01

Lucas beat Herbert the only time they'v met in eliminations before this round. Lucas got off the starting line first and was ahead at mid track. Herbert drove by him to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Brandon Bernstein                       8 John Smith
E1   ****WINNER****  0.123  4.565 327.59                     0.090  8.472 113.35
 Qualified:             #5  4.545 326.48                       #12  4.659 311.56

This is Bernstein's 29th start and 28 have been in the top half of the field. Bernstein won three of the four times they've met before this race. Smith's crew took a long time to get his car started. By the time they did, Bernstein had already done his burnout and was backing up to stage. Bernstein and his crew waited to stage and gave Smith the time he needed to do his burnout, backup and stage. When they started, Smith had the better light but started smoking the tires at 60 feet and shut the car down by the time they reached the 330 foot marker. Bernstein had a good run for the win, with just a little bit of smoke trailing his car at the end of the race.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tony Schumacher                        36 Scott Weis
E1   ****WINNER****  0.102  4.482 329.34                     0.105  4.648 317.57
 Qualified:             #4  4.516 319.60                       #13  4.665 318.62

This is the 10th time that Weis has started from the 13th spot in the qualifying order. He has won one round of eliminations from that starting position. Schumacher had six wins and no losses against Weis coming into this race.

Make that seven wins. The two drivers got off the starting line just 0.003 seconds apart but then Schumacher used the power in his car to pull away and take the win. He'll have lane choice over Bernstein in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  319 Scott Kalitta                         304 Todd Paton
E1   ****WINNER****  0.072  4.563 320.13                     0.073 10.085  91.27
 Qualified:             #3  4.495 321.27                       #14  5.115 222.95

Kalitta won here in 1994 and 1995. This is Paton's first NHRA Top Fuel start. Paton shook the tires hard when he launched. He tried to drive through it but couldn't so he shut the car down at 330 feet. Kalitta had a clean run for the win. He'll have lane choice over Herbert in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  757 David Grubnic                         141 Bobby Lagana Jr.
E1   ****WINNER****  0.103  4.540 324.51                     0.126  8.196  97.89
 Qualified:             #2  4.481 326.16                       #15  5.260 260.71

Lagana raced in the IHRA national event in Norwalk, Ohio and won a round there. The team got back here in time for eliminations today. Lagana's father was in the Funny car field in the first NHRA national event here in 1985.

Lagana started smoking the tires as soon as he launched and clicked it off at 330 feet. Grubnic had a nice run for the win. He'll have lane choice over Vandergriff in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Doug Kalitta                          443 Mitch King
E1   ****WINNER****  0.087  4.504 329.83                     0.144 13.178  62.92
 Qualified:             #1  4.460 330.88                       #16 11.404  68.62

This was the 22nd time that Kalitta started eliminations from the number one spot in the order. He is 2-0 against King this year. King is starting his 15th Top Fuel race here today. King launched and shook the tires, then shut it down. Kalitta had a nice run to take the win and earn lane choice over Hartman-Smith in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink