Sun, 7 Sep 2003, 06:37 PM Top Fuel Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Keith Burgan

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tony Schumacher                         6 Darrell Russell
E4   ****WINNER****  0.075  4.498 328.54                     0.049  4.613 290.19
 Prior rounds:
E3    (S Kalitta   ) 0.044  4.523 326.16      (K Bernstein ) 0.069  4.612 315.64
E2    (D Kalitta   ) 0.064  4.526 326.40      (D Baca      ) 0.086  4.579 319.82
E1    (J Smith     ) 0.064  4.519 327.59      (P Romine    ) 0.058  4.623 317.12
 Qualified:             #6  4.534 322.50                        #9  4.568 320.36

Current weather conditions: 78 degrees, 47 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.07 inches, with a track temperature of 107 degrees.

Predictably Alan Johnson has put Schumacher in the left lane for the last race of the event. The Amato car has eaten up a couple of bullets today but crew chief Wayne Dupuy is ready to win this event after making it to the final round with Jim Epler in 1999. Amato has a small group of supporters watching while the multi car Schumacher operation has a cast of thousands in their lane. Russell left first but the Army car was trucking, running quicker to every increment as Schumacher was about 38 feet ahead in the traps on his way to his first 4.4 which is also low elapsed time of the event by a mere one thousandth. Schumacher joins an elite group of three time top fuel winners as only Gary Beck, Don Prudhomme and Don Garlits are prior members of that club.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink