Sun, 19 Apr 2009, 11:30 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations |
By Larry Sullivan |
COMMERCE, Ga. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 29th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 333 Shawn Langdon 50 Doug Kalitta E1 ****WINNER**** 0.065 3.860 312.42 0.094 4.277 265.85 Qualified: #8 3.886 305.36 #9 3.891 310.4110:58 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 46 percent, barometer 29.27 inches, adjusted altitude 2,269 feet, track temperature 81 degrees. The forecast is "iffy" but right now conditions are just about perfect, the track warm enough, the air still relatively dry. The teams are on 65-minute turnarounds again this weekend, hopefully we'll get it all done before conditions change.
This is the first time Langdon and Kalitta have ever faced each other - half of the matchups in this round today fall into that category. By the way, the top half is the place to be at this event - 28 of the prior 29 winners have started in the top half of the field. Last year, Antron Brown broke that string by winning from the 9th starting position.
Langdon got the early edge and Kalitta's car faltered a bit about 200 feet out, well off the pace by the 660-foot
marker. Langdon's car ate some pistons in the lights, but he'll be back for round two.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Cory McClenathan 2 Larry Dixon
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.090 3.865 313.44 0.109 3.846 315.27
Qualified: #10 3.901 307.86 #7 3.881 310.98
Unlike most pairings this round, this is the 55th times Dixon and Cory Mac have faced each other, the 16th time they have done
so in round one. Dixon holds an overall 35-19 edge, 9-6 in round one matchups.So far, lane choice doesn't appear to be a factor, Langdon's team chose the left, Dixon's the right. On a holeshot, McClenathan pulls off the upset in a photo finish.
Cory McClenathan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.017), 330 ft(0.013), 660ft(0.005). MOV: 0.0003 seconds (approximately 2 inches).
Cory
McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.094/275.90 mph.
Larry Dixon's incremental times:
60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.080/279.44 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 255 Clay Millican 5 Antron Brown E1 0.099 3.920 311.56 ****WINNER**** 0.074 3.854 314.97 Qualified: #12 3.917 311.92 #5 3.867 311.63This is only the second time last-year winner Brown and Millican have faced each other. Brown won the first one, at this year's Gatornationals.
Another close race, but the usually-prompt Millican was last off the line and Brown ran low ET of the round so
far, winning going away.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 34 Morgan Lucas 524 Joe Hartley E1 ****WINNER**** 0.111 3.860 310.27 0.074 3.943 309.06 Qualified: #3 3.844 308.21 #14 3.959 304.19This is the fifth meeting between Lucas and Hartley. All have come in round one. Lucas is 3-1 in prior events.
Hartley got a
nice holeshot, but Lucas ran him down to get the win light by about a car length.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 421 Spencer Massey 497 Troy Buff E1 ****WINNER**** 0.069 3.891 307.51 0.097 4.088 268.92 Qualified: #1 3.820 311.20 #16 3.997 259.91Massey got his first #1 qualifier at this event and is the second rookie to earn the #1 spot this season. Shawn Langdon qualified #1 at the SummitRacing.com event in Las Vegas and this is the first time that two rookies have qualified #1 in the same season. This is the first time Massey and Buff have raced each other.
Massey was never headed. Buff had a cylinder out on the left
side right from the start and steadily lost ground. The two rookie #1 qualifiers, Langdon and Massey will meet in round two, Langdon
will have lane choice.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 141 Bobby Lagana Jr. 7 Brandon Bernstein E1 ****WINNER**** 0.098 3.991 271.79 0.096 4.196 253.09 Qualified: #15 3.976 304.19 #2 3.824 311.49This is only the second time Bernstein and Lagana have raced each other. Bernstein won the first one. The last time Lagana started #15 was at the Gatornationals this year, where he went to the semifinals.
Lightning strikes again for Lagana! They left
together and Bernstein was pulling away, as expected, then started hazing the tires and Lagan just kept on truckin' for the win.
Bobby Lagana Jr.'s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.022), 330 ft(-0.066), 660ft(0.074). MOV: 0.2031 seconds
(approximately 75 feet). He won't have lane choice against Cory Mac in round two, probably doesn't care.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 3516 Terry McMillen 1 Tony Schumacher E1 0.076 4.359 187.21 ****WINNER**** 0.154 4.058 251.91 Qualified: #13 3.958 304.32 #4 3.851 306.19Schumacher and McMillen are facing each other for the first time. This is McMillen's 4th start, but it's the second time he's made the field here in Atlanta.
Schumacher stayed with the right-lane preference. McMillen left first, by a bunch, but his car
stuttered and Schumacher caught him at half track. Both cars struggled on the top end, but McMillen's was popping and banging worse
than Schumacher's and the Army car got the win. Schumacher won't have lane choice against Brown in round two, his round one win
streak now at 32.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 12 Bob Vandergriff 121 Terry Haddock E1 ****WINNER**** 0.062 3.934 304.87 0.122 3.908 306.05 Qualified: #6 3.878 314.39 #11 3.915 301.47This is the first time Haddock and Vandergriff have raced each other, Haddock in his first year in Top Fuel and Vandergriff making his first appearance of the season.
Vandergriff won this one on a holeshot, making his worst run of the weekend. Haddock
actually improved over his qualifying run, but not enough to catch Vandergriff. Bob Vandergriff's incremental margins: 60ft(0.034),
330 ft(0.036), 660ft(0.037). MOV: 0.0342 seconds (approximately 15 feet). He had his hands full in the shutdown area, the car very
loose once the chutes came out, but he handled it well. Vandergriff won't have lane choice against Lucas in round two.
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