Sun, 29 Jun 2008, 11:30 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations |
By Larry Sullivan |
NORWALK, Ohio - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 48 Hillary Will 7 J.R. Todd E1 0.112 5.278 215.89 ****WINNER**** 0.074 4.876 299.13 Qualified: #7 4.691 303.78 #10 4.771 297.9411:03 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 51 percent, barometer 28.80 inches, adjusted altitude 3,373 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.
Todd is 6 - 3 against Will in prior events, 4-2 in round 1. Todd was out
first, but drove through tire shake early in the run and Will jumped out to a nice leads, only to lose traction before half track.
That allowed Todd to go back in front to stay.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 475 Steve Torrence 123 Antron Brown E1 0.119 4.829 234.09 ****WINNER**** 0.076 4.616 302.14 Qualified: #11 4.772 282.72 #6 4.652 291.51This is the first time Torrence and Brown have faced each other in eliminations. It was good drag race for about 1,100 feet, but Brown was steadily opening his lead, then Torrence lost the blower belt and slowed abruptly.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 497 Troy Buff 6 Doug Herbert E1 0.085 4.721 294.18 ****WINNER**** 0.077 4.692 297.29 Qualified: #12 4.831 289.57 #5 4.647 307.30This is the first time Buff and Herbert have faced each other in eliminations. Buff is Herbert's 78th different opponent.
Herbert had a small edge at the start and a small edge the rest of the way, but Buff was actually first at 60 feet and
was right there all the way. Doug Herbert's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.009), 330 ft(-0.009), 660ft(0.011),
1,000ft(0.031). MOV: 0.0378 seconds (approximately 16 feet). From the top end we hear that both finished with no blower drive -
Herbert losing his, Buff stripping the teeth off his.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Brandon Bernstein 394 Luigi Novelli
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.109 4.688 304.39 0.109 5.162 214.28
Qualified: #3 4.640 315.86 #14 5.931 160.25
Bernstein is 1 - 0 against Novelli in prior events, they have never faced each other in the opening round.They left together,
but the Budweiser car was steadily pulling away. Around half track, Novelli started smoking the tires and almost crossed the
centerline, forcing him to lift. Bernstein faces Brown in round two, Brown has lane choice - but it doesn't appear to be a factor
since there's no clear lane of choice so far.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 22 Doug Kalitta 2 Rod Fuller E1 0.033 4.731 301.47 ****WINNER**** 0.061 4.648 303.57 Qualified: #16 7.369 120.20 #1 4.629 311.13So far three with lane choice have taken the right lane, two the right. Fuller is 8 - 7 against Kalitta in prior events, but only 1-4 in opening rounds. Fuller defeated Kalitta in round one in Joliet this year and so far this season, the #16 qualifier has only beaten the #1 qualifier twice this season.
Kalitta had a great light, but Fuller's car was too much for him, taking the lead
before half track and pulling away. Rod Fuller's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.013), 330 ft(-0.010),
660ft(0.015), 1,000ft(0.039). MOV: 0.0559 seconds (approximately 25 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 743 Morgan Lucas 796 Cory McClenathan E1 0.080 4.668 298.07 ****WINNER**** 0.091 4.640 308.64 Qualified: #15 6.111 216.86 #2 4.631 301.81McClenathan is 6 - 3 against Lucas in prior events, but Lucas is 3-2 in round one matchups with Cory Mac.
Lucas almost made it
4-2 in round one, leading well past the 1,000-foot timer. Lucas' car slowed in the final couple hundred feet, could not see why from
here. Cory McClenathan's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.011), 330 ft(0.007), 660ft(-0.009), 1,000ft(-0.003).
MOV: 0.0178 seconds (approximately 8 feet). McClenathan will have lane choice against Todd in round two.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 91 Larry Dixon 44 David Grubnic E1 0.086 4.642 307.16 ****WINNER**** 0.082 4.633 302.08 Qualified: #4 4.644 282.30 #13 4.841 288.09Dixon is 22 - 8 against Grubnic in prior events, 10-3 in opening rounds.
This was a close drag race from the start and the
crowd loved the result, giving Connie Kalitta a standing ovation as he left the starting line. David Grubnic's incremental margins
(negative if behind): 60ft(-0.007), 330 ft(0.016), 660ft(0.017), 1,000ft(0.021). MOV: 0.0137 seconds (approximately 6 feet).
Grubnic has lane choice against herbert in round two - that will be an emotional win no matter which lane gets the win
light.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
5 Bob Vandergriff 1 Tony Schumacher
E1 0.087 4.752 292.33 ****WINNER**** 0.078 4.607 318.62
Qualified: #9 4.730 280.54 #8 4.703 300.46
Schumacher is 13 - 5 against Vandergriff in prior events, but only 4-3 in opening rounds. They last squared off in the opening
stanza at Joliet, Schumacher won that one. Another good race until Vandergriff started hazing the tires, but Schumacher ran low
ET of the meet for the win and will have lane choice against Fuller in round two. Fuller has never won a race from the #1 qualifying
position (he's been #1 seven times) and now he finds himself facing the dominant car in the class in round two. Nobody ever said it
would be easy!
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