Sun, 18 May 2008, 12:32 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Q:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Rod Fuller                              7 J.R. Todd                    
E1                   0.074  4.635 280.95     ****WINNER****  0.066  4.589 321.04
 Qualified:             #9  4.584 316.23                        #8  4.584 327.90

This is Todd's 50th race and Fuller's 96th round of racing. Fuller is 4 - 1 against Todd in prior events. Todd with the starting line advantage, but then Fuller grabbed the lead by 150 feet. Then Fuller's engine started eating self up on the top end. That was when todd was able to blast by him right in the lights for the win. J.R. Todd's MOV: 0.0542 seconds (approximately 22 feet). Todd matches his qualifying time in round one. Fuller did oil the track, but he had a freebie in the oil down bank.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Doug Herbert                           91 Larry Dixon                  
E1                   0.025  4.679 296.05     ****WINNER****  0.049  4.621 316.23
 Qualified:             #7  4.578 316.97                       #10  4.586 321.19

Dixon is 28 - 10 against Herbert in prior events, and Dixon holds a 10 - 6 in round one meetings. This was a good drag race with Dixon having the early lead then Herbert had the lead from half track to just past 1000 feet when Dixon chase him down. Larry Dixon's MOV: 0.0347 seconds (approximately 15 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Bob Vandergriff                         3 Brandon Bernstein            
E1                   0.091  4.740 330.23     ****WINNER****  0.094  4.586 324.44
 Qualified:            #11  4.598 313.00                        #6  4.571 328.86

This is a rematch of last years final round. Bernstein is 7 - 0 against Vandergriff in prior events. This is the fifth time they have raced in round one. Vandergriff with a quick pedal job right off the starting line. Bernstein with a great looking pass for the win. Vandergriff runs top speed of the event in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                          304 Todd Paton                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.105  4.710 308.64                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #3  4.536 320.66                       #14  5.758 157.15

This is the 68th different driver Kalitta has raced. This is Patton's 26th start and his second this year. Patton with problems after the burnout and they shut him off before he can stage the car. Kalitta with a nice clean pass to start the day. He will give up lane choice to Bernstein in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                       530 Alan Bradshaw                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.069  4.514 325.45                    -0.084  4.551 327.59
 Qualified:             #1  4.502 327.43                       #16 11.289  71.48

Schumacher is 5 - 2 against Bradshaw in prior events, and they have met four times in round one and they each have won twice. Bradshaw turns on the red light and then runs his quickest pass of the weekend in a losing effort. Schumacher with a great looking pass, the second quickest pass of the event. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.067/278.40mph, 1,000ft-3.837 He will have lane choice over Todd in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  123 Antron Brown                          743 Morgan Lucas                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.057  4.901 321.12                     0.051  7.892 101.17
 Qualified:             #4  4.542 330.15                       #13  4.728 305.36

This is the 65th different driver Brown has raced. This is the 76th start for Lucas. Brown loses traction right off the starting line and pedals it twice to get it to hook up and take the win. Lucas lost traction and pedaled it and the car was completely side ways before he had to lift.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                         497 Troy Buff                    
E1                   0.082  4.873 314.83     ****WINNER****  0.079  4.666 313.58
 Qualified:             #2  4.526 311.85                       #15  7.602 126.90

This is Grubnic's 230th race, and Buff's second start. Grubnic chattered the tires right at the hit and pedaled it one time. Buff with his best pass of the weekend to take home the win. This is third round win. He will give up lane choice to Dixon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                          796 Cory McClenathan             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.079  4.555 320.43                     0.069  4.638 329.34
 Qualified:             #5  4.570 323.50                       #12  4.605 317.72

This is Will's 53rd start and the 23rd time she has started from the top half of the field and the seventh time this year. Will and McClenathan have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. McClenathan with some tire shake right at the hit and he pedaled it at 100 feet. Will with her quickest pass of the weekend for the win. She will have lane choice over Brown in the next round. Hillary Will's incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.199, 660ft-3.101/279.50mph, 1,000ft-3.870

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink