Sun, 23 Aug 2009, 11:42 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   50 Doug Kalitta                          524 Joe Hartley                  
E1                   0.077  4.490 239.14     ****WINNER****  0.070  4.163 275.90
 Qualified:             #8  3.943 286.25                        #9  3.972 306.67

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 67 percent, barometer 29.29 inches, adjusted altitude 2,858 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Kalitta is 4 - 1 against Hartley in prior events. Hartley had a hole or two out right at the hit, but stayed with it. Kalitta started to lose traction around 200 feet and then dropped a bunch of cylinders and that was the end of his weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  333 Shawn Langdon                        1301 Doug Foley                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.044  3.964 282.24                     0.072  3.979 273.33
 Qualified:             #7  3.933 310.84                       #10  3.972 305.01

This is the first time Langdon and Foley have faced each other in eliminations. Langdon is out of the gate first and then his engine went silent right in the lights, but had enough to hold on for the win. Foley with a nice pass until right in the light when it started mixing up cylinders.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  421 Spencer Massey                        121 Terry Haddock                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  3.958 282.60                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #5  3.916 293.54                       #12  3.994 287.35

Massey is 1 - 0 against Haddock in prior events. Haddock broke on the burnout and he can't get it back to the starting line, so he gets out of the car and over the wall. Massey with the single here and he runs low of the round, so far.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Antron Brown                            7 Brandon Bernstein            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.058  3.951 281.25                     0.025  4.347 217.14
 Qualified:             #1  3.854 315.71                       #16  9.315  75.51

Brown is 5 - 4 against Bernstein in prior events. This is the first time in Bernstein's career he has qualified in the No. 16 spot. Brown qualifying No. 1 secured the No. 1 spot in the "Countdown to 1" playoffs. Bernstein was out of the gate first and then started to lose traction around 330 feet and then the car started dropping cylinders. By half track Brown had the lead and then marches on through the 1000 feet with low E.T. of the round and lane choice against Hartley.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                           44 David Grubnic                
E1                   0.050  4.511 209.62     ****WINNER****  0.109  4.005 282.48
 Qualified:             #2  3.867 307.37                       #15  5.552 120.08

Grubnic is 7 - 6 against Lucas in prior events. Lucas is out of the gate first and then starts to spin the tires around 330 feet and drops cylinders. Grubnic is able to chase him down by half track and take his first round win of the year, of course this is only his second race of the year. Grubnic will give up lane choice to Langdon in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Larry Dixon                           323 Chris Karamesines            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  3.997 278.58                     0.095  4.119 286.50
 Qualified:             #3  3.889 310.20                       #14  4.029 299.46

Dixon is 3 - 0 against Karamesines in prior events. Dixon is out of the gate first and then right in the lights his engine is eating itself up, but he holds on for the win. Karamesines keeps Dixon honest as he was on a good pass until right before the finish line when it started mixing up cylinders.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Cory McClenathan                      255 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.079  4.255 236.17                     0.053  4.597 207.85
 Qualified:             #4  3.903 312.21                       #13  4.011 302.89

McClenathan is 6 - 1 against Millican in prior events. Millican is out of the starting line advantage and then starts to spin the tires and he pedals it and can't get it to hook up, but he drives it through the 1000 feet. McClenathan was losing traction and dropping cylinders on the top end but holds on for the win. With Millican losing, Hartley moves to with in 3 points of Millican and tenth place in the point standings. McClenathan will give up lane choice to Massey in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                       142 Dom Lagana                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  4.081 236.13                     0.083 10.346  82.99
 Qualified:             #6  3.931 280.78                       #11  3.981 303.03

This is the first time Schumacher and Lagana have faced each other in eliminations. Lagana and his crew won the Best Appearing Crew award this weekend. Lagana lose traction as soon as he hits the throttle. Still a good weekend for the Lagana team. Schumacher goes in deep and then is losing traction and mixing up cylinders on the top end. He will lose lane choice to Dixon in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink