Sun, 28 Sep 2003, 04:01 PM Top Fuel Round 3 Eliminations

By Bob Orme

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Kenny Bernstein                       390 Shirley Muldowney
E3   ****WINNER****  0.068  4.511 331.69                     0.061  4.612 320.05
 Prior rounds:
E2    (P Romine    ) 0.097  4.494 328.38      (C McClenatha) 0.080  5.066 296.24
E1    (D Grubnic   ) 0.074  4.539 329.10      (J Smith     ) 0.085  4.578 325.77
 Qualified:             #3  4.498 323.50                       #10  4.579 327.66

2:49 PM A pair of Top Fuel legends at the line. Muldowney was to the left of the groove for most of the top half of this pass. Kenny Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.830 sec., 330ft-2.142, 660ft-3.063/276.52mph, 1,000ft-3.840

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tony Schumacher                         1 Larry Dixon
E3                   0.054 10.195 105.33     ****WINNER****  0.056  6.050 315.78
 Prior rounds:
E2    (D Kalitta   ) 0.066  4.464 330.96      (R Hartman-Sm) 0.100  5.699 193.07
E1    (S Kalitta   ) 0.069  6.037 320.97      (D Russell   ) 0.052  4.959 309.13
 Qualified:             #8  4.555 320.97                        #4  4.507 332.10

Both drivers were up in smoke immediately. They both pedaled several times, Dixon able to get the car hooked up at about 300 feet.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink