Sun, 12 Oct 2003, 02:55 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 18th annual O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Kenny Bernstein                         5 Cory McClenathan
E2   ****WINNER****  0.070  4.570 321.88                     0.080  4.605 309.91
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Baca      ) 0.058  4.628 323.15      (J Smith     ) 0.098  4.654 311.52
 Qualified:             #3  4.567 327.39                        #6  4.612 326.67

Current weather conditions: 73 degrees, 66 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.08 inches, with a track temperature of 91 degrees under cloudy skies.

Bernstein is out of the gate first and holds off McClenathan on the top end. McClenathan pitched the blower belt right in the lights.

Kenny Bernstein's MOV: 0.0453 seconds (approximately 21 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Larry Dixon                             6 Darrell Russell
E2   ****WINNER****  0.075  4.584 324.44                     0.038  4.634 305.81
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Ancona    ) 0.085  4.605 320.39      (D Herbert   ) 0.041  4.976 278.72
 Qualified:             #2  4.563 326.56                        #7  4.625 320.39

Russell with a big starting line advantage, but Dixon was able to chase him down just before the finish line for the win. Larry Dixon's MOV: 0.0133 seconds (approximately 6 feet). With the win Dixon is the 2003 POWERade Top Fuel Champion. Dixon will give up lane choice to Bernstein.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  888 Jim Head                              337 Paul Romine
E2   ****WINNER****  0.114  4.587 327.39                     0.059  4.698 302.72
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.067  4.557 331.12      (S Weis      ) 0.066  4.636 312.28
 Qualified:            #12  4.654 322.92                       #13  4.666 310.02

Romine with a big starting line advantage, but Head with the power to chase him down by 1000 feet to take the win by just less than a car length.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Doug Kalitta                          319 Scott Kalitta
E2                   0.054  6.694 123.93     ****WINNER****  0.060  4.507 333.95
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Schumacher) 0.028  4.483 330.63      (D Grubnic   ) 0.060  4.631 317.12
 Qualified:            #16  4.800 301.00                        #9  4.630 317.79

Doug was out of the gate first and then he lost traction and the engine let go. Scott with a great pass with quick E.T. of the round and the fastest pass in the history of NHRA. He will have lane choice over Head in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink