Mon, 22 Sep 2003, 03:21 PM Top Fuel Round 3 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 16th annual O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Larry Dixon                             6 Darrell Russell
E3   ****WINNER****  0.059  4.592 318.69                     0.042 12.690  83.06
 Prior rounds:
E2    (C McClenatha) 0.070  4.624 320.13      (D Baca      ) 0.056  4.671 305.22
E1    (S Weis      ) 0.068  4.589 319.90      (S Kalitta   ) 0.063  4.613 320.81
 Qualified:             #5  4.586 322.19                        #8  4.604 321.04

Current weather conditions: 80 degrees, 54 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.95 inches, with a track temperature of 104 degrees under sunny skies.

Russell was out of the gate first and up in smoke immediately. Dixon with a picture perfect pass in the heat of the day.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tony Schumacher                         4 Doug Kalitta
E3   ****WINNER****  0.050  4.614 321.58                     0.051  5.656 159.51
 Prior rounds:
E2    (C Millican  ) 0.043  4.571 324.36      (K Bernstein ) 0.045  5.283 207.46
E1    (D Grubnic   ) 0.065  4.560 326.40      (J Smith     ) 0.053  4.677 306.12
 Qualified:             #3  4.551 321.65                        #2  4.542 327.90

They left the starting line together and then Kalitta had a slight lead at 330 feet, but then started to haze the tires and that was the end of his weekend. Schumacher with a nice looking pass. He is going to his third straight final, but will give up lane choice to Dixon.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink