Sun, 30 Mar 2008, 05:10 PM Top Fuel Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  123 Antron Brown                           91 Larry Dixon                  
E4   ****WINNER****  0.063  4.605 320.28                     0.051  4.621 309.06
 Prior rounds:
E3    (D Kalitta   ) 0.056  4.570 321.88      (D Herbert   ) 0.069  4.599 319.14
E2    (C McClenatha) 0.060  4.541 326.56      (B Litton    ) 0.054  4.955 227.11
E1    (D Foley     ) 0.065  4.591 322.27      (M Lucas     ) 0.053  4.595 311.92
 Qualified:            #12  4.644 322.42                        #3  4.549 314.46

4:02 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 81 percent, barometer 29.95 inches, adjusted altitude 1,885 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

This is the one we all wait for, the final run of the event. Both drivers have long records and many successes, Dixon in Top Fuel, Brown astride a Pro Stock Motorcycle. Dixon's last win was Phoenix, this year. Brown's was Brainerd in '06. This is the first time Brown and Dixon have faced each other in eliminations.

We have a first-time winner in Top Fuel, but it's Brown's 17th national event win, and he beat one of the best to get this first win. Dixon had the better light, but Lee Beard had the tuneup for success. The win came in the last few feet of the track because Dixon led all the way past the 1,000-foot marker. Antron Brown's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.032), 330 ft(-0.018), 660ft(-0.021), 1,000ft(-0.016). MOV: 0.0044 seconds (approximately 24 inches).

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink