Sun, 22 Jun 2008, 11:50 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations |
By Jim Samuel |
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 22 Doug Kalitta 796 Cory McClenathan E1 No Time ****WINNER**** 0.204 4.586 322.50 Qualified: #12 4.609 319.14 #5 4.542 325.9210:56 a.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 62 percent, barometer 29.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,072 feet, track temperature 102 degrees. The sky is overcast with a line of dark clouds approaching. Weather forecasts are calling for rain later today, with the forecasts differing only on when the rain will arrive and whether it will be in the form of showers or thunderstorms.During the invocation and national anthem, the dark cloud blew over the track without dropping any moisture onto the track.
Kalitta will not be racing today because of the death of his cousin, Scott, yesterday. The flag here is at half staff.
McClenathan was runner up here in 1992, 1998 and 2004. He took his car right down the groove to
get the win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 48 Hillary Will 5 Bob Vandergriff E1 No Time ****WINNER**** 0.210 5.295 144.06 Qualified: #10 4.584 323.12 #7 4.565 315.19Like Doug Kalitta, Will will not be racing today because of the death of Scott Kalitta. Vandergriff is making his 178th start here. It's his best qualifying position since Phoenix earlier this year.
Vandergriff got down to about 1,000 feet when the car started shaking the rear tires, so he shut
it down.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 743 Morgan Lucas 2 Rod Fuller E1 0.064 5.245 209.49 ****WINNER**** 0.076 4.963 245.23 Qualified: #11 4.601 320.74 #6 4.551 328.46Fuller is 5 - 3 against Lucas in prior events. Fuller won this race in 2006. It's Lucas' 88th race as a Top Fuel driver.
This one wasn't pretty. Lucas got to mid track when he started dropping some cylinders and
shaking the rear tires. Lucas got off the throttle but then Fuller's car started shaking the
tires and dropping cylinders. Morgan tried to take advantage of Fuller's problems by getting
back on the throttle, but Fuller was pedaling his car too and managed to squeeze out the
win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
6 Doug Herbert 1301 Doug Foley
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.062 4.748 298.80 -0.056 12.445 81.36
Qualified: #14 4.773 304.25 #3 4.532 327.43
This is the 23rd Top Fuel start and best qualifying spot of Foley's career. Herbert has four
wins and no losses against Foley. He was runner up here in 1999 and 2007.
Foley left early and the car shut down right away. Herbert hazed the tires most of the way down
the track but he got the win and will move on to round two. He'll have lane choice over Fuller
next time out.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
7 J.R. Todd 123 Antron Brown
E1 0.042 4.639 310.05 ****WINNER**** 0.090 4.567 322.73
Qualified: #16 5.412 203.71 #1 4.502 326.24
This is the third time Brown has qualified number one here and the first time in a Top Fuel
Dragster. His previous number ones came in 2002 and 2005 in Pro Stock Bike. Todd is making his
50th start here today. It's only the third time he is starting from the number 16 position.
Todd was first out of the gate but Brown quickly began to close the gap. Brown took the lead
past the 1,000 foot marker to take the win. Antron Brown's incremental margins (negative if
behind): 60ft(-0.033), 330 ft(-0.021), 660ft(-0.008), 1,000ft(-0.001). MOV: 0.0249 seconds
(approximately 11 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 304 Todd Paton 3 Brandon Bernstein E1 0.125 No Time ****WINNER**** 0.083 4.692 316.60 Qualified: #15 4.984 242.80 #2 4.525 323.27This is Bernstein's sixth start at Englishtown. He has four round one losses in his previous five races here. Paton is making his third NHRA start here this weekend.
Paton launched and
his blower immediately exploded in a fireball. Bernstein went down the middle of his lane to get
the win and earn lane choice over Vandergriff in the next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Tony Schumacher 475 Steve Torrence
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.045 5.044 263.82 0.098 5.125 258.27
Qualified: #9 4.582 320.36 #8 4.579 315.42
This is Torrence's start. He has one round win and three round losses in his previous three
starts. Englishtown has not been a friendly track for Schumacher. In his 10 prior starts here he
has lost in the first round five times and did not qualify one time. He has never won here.
Schumacher got the win but he had to do a lot of work to get it. He got our of the gate first
but had not traveled far when both he and Torrence started shaking the rear tires on their
dragsters. They both pedaled a couple of times and Schumacher managed to hang on for the win. He
gave up lane choice to Brown in the next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 44 David Grubnic 91 Larry Dixon E1 No Time ****WINNER**** 0.089 4.638 313.58 Qualified: #4 4.539 318.84 #13 4.684 310.05Dixon has been to six consecutive finals here at Englishtown and eight final rounds overall. Grubnic withdrew from competition because of the death of Scott Kalitta.
Dixon had a solid run but gave up lane choice to McClenathan in the next round.
Ready to take your order at 1-800-230-3030 | Customer Service 1-800-517-1035