Sun, 28 Sep 2008, 02:16 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Doug Herbert                            7 J.R. Todd                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.096  3.954 299.73                     0.096  3.956 300.00
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.077  3.912 301.54      (D Grubnic   ) 0.067  3.912 308.00
 Qualified:             #5  3.853 311.49                       #13  3.968 303.43

Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 29.80 inches, adjusted altitude 2,499 feet, track temperature 111 degrees.

Herbert is 4 - 2 against Todd in prior events. They left together and they were glued together all the way down the 1000 feet. Doug Herbert's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.021), 330 ft(-0.015), 660ft(0.006), 1,000ft(0.000). MOV: 0.0022 seconds (approximately 12 inches). By my unofficial point total with the win Herbert moves into seventh place.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                          796 Cory McClenathan             
E2   ****WINNER****  0.094  3.929 301.81                     0.159  3.913 302.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Lucas     ) 0.088  3.892 306.81      (B Vandergrif) 0.069  3.888 305.08
 Qualified:             #2  3.826 313.66                       #10  3.873 310.13

Will is 5 - 1 against McClenathan in prior events. Will with a big starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Hillary Will's MOV: 0.0492 seconds (approximately 22 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                        22 Doug Kalitta                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.059  3.889 310.55                     0.065  3.902 304.74
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Fuller    ) 0.060  3.880 310.63      (T Zizzo     ) 0.055  3.946 304.12
 Qualified:             #6  3.859 305.29                        #3  3.838 311.20

Schumacher is 28 - 23 against Kalitta in prior events, but Kalitta holds a 8 - 7 advantage in round two meetings. Schumacher with the starting line advantage and never looked back to move into the semifinals. Tony Schumacher's MOV: 0.0191 seconds (approximately 9 feet). He will have lane choice over Will in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Brandon Bernstein                      91 Larry Dixon                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.090  3.880 297.09                     0.088  4.541 174.59
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Dakin     ) 0.123  3.884 308.78      (A Brown     ) 0.046  3.877 306.40
 Qualified:             #1  3.825 313.88                        #8  3.865 308.50

Bernstein is 14 - 8 against Dixon in prior events, and a 7 - 5 advantage in round two meetings. They leave together and then Dixon dropped and cylinder and began to smoke the tires to put an end to his weekend. Bernstein with the quick E.T. of the round and he will have lane choice over Herbert in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink