Sun, 2 Nov 2008, 04:24 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                           796 Cory McClenathan             
E2   ****WINNER****  0.068  3.827 311.99                     0.105  3.841 314.39
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T McMillen  ) 0.055  3.845 313.37      (M Lucas     ) 0.093  3.859 310.63
 Qualified:             #4  3.831 313.88                        #5  3.852 314.17

Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 27.76 inches, adjusted altitude 3,981 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Dixon is 32 - 19 against McClenathan in prior events, and 14 - 8 in round two meetings. McClenathan won the only time they raced this year. Dixon is out of the gate first and runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win light. Cory Mac with a clean pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  123 Antron Brown                           44 David Grubnic                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.061  3.839 317.19                     0.096  3.874 309.49
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Buff      ) 0.068  3.843 315.34      (J Todd      ) 0.045  3.976 297.81
 Qualified:             #2  3.812 315.49                       #10  3.874 308.99

Brown is 3 - 0 against Grubnic in prior events, and this is the first time they have raced in round two. Brown with the starting line advantage and never looked back to take the win. Brown still battling for the number two spot in the final points.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Rod Fuller                             48 Hillary Will                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.076  3.813 318.32                     0.087  4.648 199.23
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Boychuk   ) 0.074  3.829 317.72      (D Kalitta   ) 0.028  3.877 311.77
 Qualified:             #3  3.816 318.39                        #6  3.861 303.84

Fuller is 4 - 2 against Will in prior events, and 3 - 2 advantage in round two meetings. Will won the only time they raced this year. Fuller with a slight starting line advantage and then runs another big top end speed. This is the fifth fastest pass in the 1000-foot era. Will started to haze the tires around half track. Fuller will have lane choice over his teammate Brown in the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                       255 Clay Millican                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.069  3.851 295.92                     0.052  3.898 310.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Hartley   ) 0.073  3.824 316.52      (B Bernstein ) 0.035  3.878 311.85
 Qualified:             #1  3.781 316.60                        #9  3.865 314.53

Schumacher is 11 - 2 against Millican in prior events, and 3 - 1 advantage in round two meetings. Schumacher won the only time they have raced this year. Millican had the starting line advantage, but Schumacher had the difference made up by the time they went by the Christmas tree. Tony Schumacher's MOV: 0.0303 seconds (approximately 14 feet). Schumacher was mixing up cylinders on the top end and apparently he lost an engine with a big cloud of engine smoke. This will use up his oil down freebie. Schumacher will give up lane choice to dixon in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink