Sun, 21 Sep 2008, 03:10 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 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
    3 Brandon Bernstein                     123 Antron Brown                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.072  3.965 296.24                     0.076  4.016 281.42
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Herbert   ) 0.076  3.894 311.49      (S Torrence  ) 0.066  3.909 307.37
 Qualified:             #2  3.842 315.19                       #10  3.897 309.06

Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 41 percent, barometer 29.53 inches, adjusted altitude 3,298 feet, track temperature 126 degrees.

Bernstein and Brown have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. Bernstein with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed. Brown had a hole out or two and could never get them to pick up. Bernstein lost an engine on the top end and we have oil. Bernstein had one in the bank so this won't cost him any points. Apparently Brown hurt his engine too as there is oil in his lane, but this one will cost him 10 points.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  796 Cory McClenathan                      255 Clay Millican                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.094  3.968 294.37                     0.051  4.052 276.75
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Hartley   ) 0.111  3.887 307.16      (B Vandergrif) 0.050  4.197 222.07
 Qualified:             #5  3.866 313.00                       #13  3.923 304.80

McClenathan is 4 - 1 against Millican in prior events. Millican with the starting line advantage and the lead until right before the light when he started to haze the tires. Cory McClenathan's MOV: 0.0416 seconds (approximately 17 feet). Cory Mac with a real nice pass here in the heat of the day.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                            7 J.R. Todd                    
E2                   0.097  3.936 304.39     ****WINNER****  0.080  3.934 305.22
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Kalitta   ) 0.101  3.879 309.63      (S Massey    ) 0.078  3.911 310.13
 Qualified:             #3  3.849 314.97                        #6  3.874 307.72

Todd is 7 - 3 against Will in prior events. This was a great drag race with Todd getting the starting line advantage and the quickest pass of the round for the win by 0.0194 seconds (approximately 9 feet). Todd will have lane choice over Bernstein.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                             1 Tony Schumacher              
E2                   0.056  4.014 274.66     ****WINNER****  0.071  3.914 310.34
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Lucas     ) 0.077  3.871 309.63      (R Fuller    ) 0.054  3.898 312.57
 Qualified:             #1  3.820 310.70                        #8  3.880 310.98

Dixon and Schumacher have each won 26 times against the other in prior events. Dixon with the starting line advantage and then starts hazing the tires around half track. Schumacher was able to chase him down around 800 feet. Schumacher with the quickest pass of the round and he will have lane choice over McClenathan in the semifinal. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.191, 660ft-3.129/270.81 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink