Sun, 22 Feb 2009, 01:30 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual Lucas Oil Slick Mist NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Cory McClenathan                       22 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                  -0.129 10.426  64.24     ****WINNER****  0.074  3.845 313.00
 Qualified:             #9  3.904 311.63                        #8  3.897 307.86

Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 28.94 inches, adjusted altitude 2,287 feet, track temperature 85 degrees.

This is Doug Kalitta's 250th start. Kalitta is 20 - 13 against McClenathan in prior events, but McClenathan holds a six to five advantage in round one meetings.

McClenathan is real early turning on the red light. He then smoked the tires right off the starting line. This is McClenathan's 17th red light start in his career. Kalitta who struggled during qualifying with his quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  255 Clay Millican                         333 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.083  3.922 305.29     ****WINNER****  0.070  3.876 312.93
 Qualified:            #10  3.907 311.13                        #7  3.888 305.63

Langdon is out of the gate first and never looks back to take his first round win in Top Fuel. This is career best pass. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.178, 660ft-3.105/275.34 mph. Millican with a clean pass, but slowed from his qualifying time.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  524 Joe Hartley                             7 Brandon Bernstein            
E1                   0.107  9.214  82.49     ****WINNER****  0.059  3.890 306.33
 Qualified:            #12  3.913 308.07                        #5  3.875 308.07

Hartley is up in smoke right off the starting line. Bernstein with a real nice looking pass to go into round two. Brandon Bernstein's MOV: 5.3725 seconds (more than 100 feet). Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.184, 660ft-3.108/274.00 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  744 Del Cox Jr                              5 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.073  4.056 283.55     ****WINNER****  0.088  3.977 232.39
 Qualified:            #14  3.936 306.46                        #3  3.830 313.80

Cox Jr. with a slight starting line advantage, but then drops a cylinder right off the starting line and never picks it back up. Brown's car with problems on the top end, but he holds on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Terry Haddock                           2 Larry Dixon                  
E1                   0.165  4.376 270.92     ****WINNER****  0.158  3.815 313.73
 Qualified:            #16  4.094 237.80                        #1  3.807 313.95

Dixon with a picture perfect run to get his first round win for the Alan Johnson Al-Anabi team. That is Dixon's second quickest pass of the weekend. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.146, 660ft-3.046/277.49 mph. Haddock had a clean pass...

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  497 Troy Buff                               1 Tony Schumacher              
E1                  -0.042  3.923 284.62     ****WINNER****  0.090  7.997  77.94
 Qualified:            #15  3.974 283.97                        #2  3.826 314.46

Buff turned on the red light and gave away what could of been...Schumacher had problems right off the starting line, but coasted to the win. This is Schumacher's 27th consecutive round one win. Schumacher will give up lane choice to Langdon in round two. The Safety Safari is rolling and looks like there is a small clean up in Buff's lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   13 David Baca                             34 Morgan Lucas                 
E1                   0.085  8.113  94.31     ****WINNER****  0.064  4.287 228.58
 Qualified:            #11  3.910 305.77                        #6  3.879 306.46

Baca is up in smoke right off the starting line. Lucas was on a good pass until right before the finish line when the engine went silent. He still takes the win light, but will give up lane choice to Brown.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   72 Mike Strasburg                        421 Spencer Massey               
E1                  -0.327  9.538  84.15     ****WINNER**** -0.081  3.847 309.42
 Qualified:            #13  3.922 310.48                        #4  3.847 310.27

Strasburg left way early and turned on the red light and then was up in smoke. Massey matched his qualifying E.T. with a real nice looking pass for the win. Massey with the second quickest pass of the round. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.149, 660ft-3.069/274.11 mph. Massey will have lane choice over Bernstein in the second round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink