Sun, 1 Nov 2009, 04:46 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Antron Brown                            7 Brandon Bernstein            
E2                   0.068  3.894 311.34     ****WINNER****  0.053  3.882 311.85
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Neergaard ) 0.076  4.012 247.66      (B Vandergrif) 0.073  3.890 310.98
 Qualified:             #3  3.834 317.42                        #6  3.853 317.27

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 27.92 inches, adjusted altitude 3,988 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.

Brown is 6 - 5 against Bernstein in prior events. Bernstein is out of the gate first and blasted on down the 1000 feet to take the win by 0.0275 seconds (approximately 13 feet). Brown with nice pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Cory McClenathan                        1 Tony Schumacher              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.078  3.860 316.67                     0.112  3.868 318.84
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Grubnic   ) 0.080  3.865 316.75      (U Erbacher  ) 0.073  3.844 319.07
 Qualified:             #5  3.841 315.42                        #4  3.839 313.07

Schumacher is 26 - 13 against McClenathan in prior events. McClenathan with the big starting line advantage and then runs another great pass to take the win and put the point leader on the trailer. Cory McClenathan's MOV: 0.0422 seconds (approximately 20 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                        421 Spencer Massey               
E2                   0.067  7.880 105.36     ****WINNER****  0.060  3.878 314.02
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T McMillen  ) 0.090  3.900 305.36      (S Langdon   ) 0.040  3.836 316.38
 Qualified:             #2  3.831 314.17                       #10  3.864 313.66

This is the first time Torrence and Massey have faced each other in eliminations. torrence is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. Massey with another good looking pass to go to the semifinal against Bernstein and he will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   50 Doug Kalitta                            2 Larry Dixon                  
E2                   0.052  3.909 313.22     ****WINNER****  0.047  3.849 315.34
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Nataas    ) 0.081  3.889 309.56      (M Lucas     ) 0.049  3.834 318.24
 Qualified:             #9  3.863 311.34                        #1  3.805 318.24

Dixon is 28 - 26 against Kalitta in prior events. Dixon with a slight starting line advantage and then runs the quickest pass of the round for the win. Dixon moves with in 21 points of Schumacher. Kalitta with a good looking pass in the losing effort. Dixon will have lane choice over McClenathan in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink