Sun, 8 Jun 2008, 05:12 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                           6 Doug Herbert                 
E2                   0.092  5.276 190.03     ****WINNER****  0.047  4.722 302.01
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Bernstein ) 0.105  5.132 284.15      (J Todd      ) 0.062  4.686 293.86
 Qualified:             #5  4.565 317.87                       #13  4.622 318.62

Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 71 percent, barometer 29.16 inches, adjusted altitude 3,659 feet, track temperature 111 degrees.

Grubnic is 10 - 8 against Herbert in prior events, and Herbert has won both times these two have raced in round two. Herbert with the starting line advantage and never looked back for the win. He was dropping cylinders on the top end. Grubnic started to haze the tires and pushed out a head gasket with a quick flash of flames.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                           743 Morgan Lucas                 
E2                   0.075  4.829 265.06     ****WINNER****  0.068  4.654 307.02
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Buff      ) 0.090  4.787 261.57      (A Bradshaw  ) 0.049  4.599 316.90
 Qualified:             #3  4.525 325.61                       #11  4.613 315.49

Dixon is 5 - 2 against Lucas in prior events, and Dixon won both times they raced in round two. Dixon had cylinders out on the left side right at the hit and it never did pick them up. Lucas was out of the gate first and never looked back and moves into the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                            1 Tony Schumacher              
E2                   0.102  4.599 325.14     ****WINNER****  0.049  4.565 326.56
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C McClenatha) 0.090  4.539 314.17      (B Vandergrif) 0.089  6.698 190.59
 Qualified:             #8  4.594 324.67                        #1  4.513 331.69

Schumacher is 4 - 0 against Will in prior events and they have raced each four times in the last five races. Schumacher with the starting line advantage and then blasted on through the quarter mile for the win. Schumacher will have lane choice against Herbert in the semifinal. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.185, 660ft-3.111/273.55mph, 1,000ft-3.889

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  317 T.J. Zizzo                              2 Rod Fuller                   
E2                   0.078  4.647 313.88     ****WINNER****  0.083  4.602 323.58
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Brown     ) 0.072  4.668 313.07      (D Kalitta   ) 0.074  4.540 309.34
 Qualified:            #15  4.756 318.62                       #10  4.602 319.60

This is the first time Zizzo and Fuller have faced each other in eliminations. Zizzo with starting line advantage, but Fuller had the difference made up by the time went by the Christmas tree. Fuller with a real nice pass and will have lane choice over Lucas in the semifinal. Zizzo with his quickest pass of the weekend in a losing effort.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink