Sun, 21 Sep 2008, 12:48 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                         2 Rod Fuller                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.054  3.898 312.57                     0.078  4.374 230.72
 Qualified:             #8  3.880 310.98                        #9  3.896 308.50

Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 61 percent, barometer 29.58 inches, adjusted altitude 2,752 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Schumacher is 14 - 7 against Fuller in prior events. This is the 12th time Schumacher has raced at the Fall Dallas race.

Schumacher with the starting line advantage and never looked back to take the win. Fuller started to strike the tires around 400 feet and attempted to drive through it and was real loose. He did a great job driving, but couldn't chase Schumacher down.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                        123 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.074  3.904 307.02     ****WINNER****  0.066  3.909 307.37
 Qualified:             #7  3.874 303.37                       #10  3.897 309.06

Brown is 1 - 0 against Torrence in prior events. This was a great drag race. Brown with a slight starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Antron Brown's MOV: 0.0032 seconds (approximately 17 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 J.R. Todd                             421 Spencer Massey               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  3.911 310.13                     0.096  3.933 304.74
 Qualified:             #6  3.874 307.72                       #11  3.902 307.23

Massey is making his NHRA debut in Top Fuel this weekend and he qualifies for his first race. Todd gets off the starting line first and then just drives away for the win. J.R. Todd's MOV: 0.0402 seconds (approximately 18 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Bob Vandergriff                       255 Clay Millican                
E1                   0.060  4.279 235.43     ****WINNER****  0.050  4.197 222.07
 Qualified:             #4  3.861 312.64                       #13  3.923 304.80

This is the first time Vandergriff and Millican have faced each other in eliminations. Millican with a slight starting line advantage and then starts dropping cylinders, but he stays with it. Vandergriff then starts to smoke the tires and that was when Millican's engine exploded with a big fireball. There is oil in Millican's lane but he had a freebie in the bank. Millican was able to take the win light with the big fireball trailing him across the finish line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                           22 Doug Kalitta                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.101  3.879 309.63                     0.070  3.918 299.20
 Qualified:             #3  3.849 314.97                       #14  3.946 304.60

Kalitta is 7 - 0 against Will in prior events. Kalitta with the starting line advantage and the lead at 3/4 track. That is when Kalitta's engine let go with a big fireball, and that was when Will drove around for the win. Hillary Will's MOV: 0.0086 seconds (approximately 4 feet). Will with the quickest pass of the first round, and she will have lane choice over Todd in the next round. Kalitta had a freebie, so this will not cost him any points.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Brandon Bernstein                       6 Doug Herbert                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.076  3.894 311.49                     0.051  4.354 214.93
 Qualified:             #2  3.842 315.19                       #15  3.946 300.86

Bernstein is 13 - 4 against Herbert in prior events. Herbert with the starting line advantage, but was dropping cylinders as soon as he hit the throttle. Then just past half track the engine let go with a big fireball. This will cost Herbert 10 points. Bernstein with a real nice pass to move into round two and lane choice over Brown.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  796 Cory McClenathan                      524 Joe Hartley                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.111  3.887 307.16                     0.090  9.776  83.65
 Qualified:             #5  3.866 313.00                       #12  3.903 299.93

McClenathan is 2 - 1 against Hartley in prior events. Hartley with the starting line advantage but was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle, and clicked it off. Cory Mac with a real nice looking pass, second quick of the round for the win and lane choice against Millican in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                           743 Morgan Lucas                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.077  3.871 309.63                     0.063  3.908 303.78
 Qualified:             #1  3.820 310.70                       #16  3.967 292.52

Dixon is 6 - 3 against Lucas in prior events. Lucas with the starting line advantage and his quickest pass of the weekend, but it is not enough as Dixon runs the quickest pass of the round for the win. Larry Dixon's MOV: 0.0237 seconds (approximately 11 feet). Dixon will have lane choice against Schumacher in round two. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.165, 660ft-3.089/274.00. mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink