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Sun, 12 Oct 2008, 11:42 AM

Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  123 Antron Brown                            3 Brandon Bernstein            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.065  3.803 314.90                     0.079  3.832 312.93
 Qualified:             #8  3.823 308.57                        #9  3.824 312.71

Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 67 percent, barometer 30.26 inches, adjusted altitude 1,001 feet, track temperature 81 degrees.

Bernstein is 2 - 1 against Brown in prior events. A couple of the Countdown to 1 contenders here. Brown is out of the gate first and never looked back to take the win. Brown with his quickest pass in the 1000-foot era and this was the fifth quickest pass in the 1000-foot era. Bernstein with a good looking pass, just not enough.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Rod Fuller                             44 David Grubnic                
E1                   0.090  3.836 314.24     ****WINNER****  0.047  3.848 313.00
 Qualified:             #7  3.823 315.56                       #10  3.837 306.26

Fuller is 11 - 4 against Grubnic in prior events, and 6 - 2 in round one meetings. Grubnic with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. This is the fastest pass Grubnic has made in the 1000-foot era.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6666 Tim Boychuk                             6 Doug Herbert                 
E1                   0.109  3.957 283.07     ****WINNER****  0.088  3.789 317.27
 Qualified:            #14  3.906 304.80                        #3  3.814 310.63

Boychuk making his first NHRA start. Herbert was out of the gate first and never looked back with the second fastest pass and the third quickest in the 1000-foot era. Doug Herbert's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.134, 660ft-3.027/280.66 mph. Boychuk with a clean pass in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                             7 J.R. Todd                    
E1                   0.082  3.820 312.93     ****WINNER****  0.071  3.822 315.27
 Qualified:             #6  3.816 312.06                       #11  3.845 311.77

Todd is 5 - 2 against Dixon in prior events. Todd with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. J.R. Todd's MOV: 0.0096 seconds (approximately 4 feet). This is the Todd's quickest and fastest pass in the 1000-foot era. Dixon runs his fastest pass in the 1000-foot era. Todd will give up lane choice to Herbert in the second round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                      5050 Scott Palmer                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.094  3.783 317.42                     0.074  4.033 291.45
 Qualified:             #1  3.771 317.05                       #16  8.610  71.88

Schumacher is 3 - 0 against Palmer in prior events. Palmer with the starting line advantage, but Schumacher has the difference made up by the time they went by the Christmas Tree. Schumacher ties the second quickest pass in the 1000-foot era and that is the second fastest pass in the 1000-foot era. Schumacher now with 24 consecutive first round wins. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.123, 660ft-3.021/280.08 mph. Palmer with a new car here and made a clean pass in the losing effort. Schumacher will have lane choice over Brown in the second round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   48 Hillary Will                          317 T.J. Zizzo                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.100  3.850 310.27                     0.108  4.658 161.36
 Qualified:             #2  3.799 315.49                       #15  4.195 213.03

This is the first time Will and Zizzo have faced each other in eliminations. Will with the starting line advantage and never looked back to take the win light. Zizzo was with her until he started to lose traction. Will will give up lane choice to her teammate Grubnic.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  796 Cory McClenathan                      743 Morgan Lucas                 
E1                   0.068  3.970 307.37     ****WINNER****  0.095  3.881 309.70
 Qualified:             #4  3.815 309.20                       #13  3.890 307.30

McClenathan is 7 - 3 against Lucas in prior events. Cory Mac is out of the gate first and then started to have a little tire shake and did a quick pedal job. Lucas with a good clean pass to move into round two. With this lost Brown move ahead of McClenathen into second place.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                            5 Bob Vandergriff              
E1                   0.103  3.905 295.27     ****WINNER****  0.076  3.885 309.77
 Qualified:             #5  3.815 305.56                       #12  3.873 308.00

Kalitta is 9 - 7 against Vandergriff in prior events. Vandergriff with the starting line advantage and blast on through for the win light. It appears Kalitta pushed out a head gasket right in the light with a quick flash of flames. Vandergriff will give up lane choice to Lucas in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink