Sun, 18 May 2008, 04:54 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Results of round 2 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
   91 Larry Dixon                           497 Troy Buff                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.043  4.631 300.73                     0.087  4.681 305.15
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Herbert   ) 0.049  4.621 316.23      (D Grubnic   ) 0.079  4.666 313.58
 Qualified:            #10  4.586 321.19                       #15  7.602 126.90

Dixon is 2 - 0 against Buff in prior events. Dixon with the starting line advantage and just increased it at every increment going down the track. Buff with another good looking run in a losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                            3 Brandon Bernstein            
E2                   0.076  4.810 280.19     ****WINNER****  0.088  4.545 326.71
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Paton     ) 0.105  4.710 308.64      (B Vandergrif) 0.094  4.586 324.44
 Qualified:             #3  4.536 320.66                        #6  4.571 328.86

Bernstein is 11 - 10 against Kalitta in prior events. Bernstein holds a three to two advantage in round two match ups. Bernstein with a great pass, his quickest of the weekend for the win. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.087/274.27mph, 1,000ft-3.866

Kalitta started dropping cylinders from around 900 feet on through the 1320.

Bernstein will have lane choice over Dixon in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                          123 Antron Brown                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.070  4.541 319.14                     0.066  4.560 328.14
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C McClenatha) 0.079  4.555 320.43      (M Lucas     ) 0.057  4.901 321.12
 Qualified:             #5  4.570 323.50                        #4  4.542 330.15

Brown is 1 - 0 against Will in prior events. This was a great drag race with Will increasing her lead all the way down the track. Will with her quickest pass of the weekend. Hillary Will's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.198, 660ft-3.089/282.60mph, 1,000ft-3.854 Hillary Will's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.004), 330 ft(-0.008), 660ft(0.013), 1,000ft(0.026). MOV: 0.0156 seconds (approximately 8 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                         7 J.R. Todd                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.511 321.42                     0.060  4.550 330.80
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Bradshaw  ) 0.069  4.514 325.45      (R Fuller    ) 0.066  4.589 321.04
 Qualified:             #1  4.502 327.43                        #8  4.584 327.90

Schumacher is 8 - 4 against Todd in prior events and Schumacher holds a two to one in round two match ups. This was great drag race with Schumacher running the quickest pass of eliminations for the win light. Todd runs a career fastest mph and top speed of the meet in a losing effort. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.159, 660ft-3.061/279.04mph, 1,000ft-3.830
J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.186, 660ft-3.105/275.56mph, 1,000ft-3.881 Schumacher will have lane choice over Will in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink