Sun, 15 Nov 2009, 04:34 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   50 Doug Kalitta                          421 Spencer Massey               
E2                   0.080  3.896 311.63     ****WINNER****  0.051  3.841 316.01
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Torrence  ) 0.052  3.846 316.52      (S Palmer    ) -0.109  3.870 312.13
 Qualified:             #6  3.836 316.82                        #3  3.809 317.94

1:20 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 29.00 inches, adjusted altitude 2,447 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

These two have never met in eliminations.

Great race with nothing wrong with the right lane this round. Massey is away first an pulls steadily away all the way to the finish line.

Spencer Massey's incremental margins: 60ft(0.054), 330 ft(0.069), 660ft(0.073). MOV: 0.0843 seconds (approximately 39 feet).

Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.198, 660ft-3.117/272.78 mph.
Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.073/276.97 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                        34 Morgan Lucas                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.054  3.836 318.54                     0.049  4.312 257.68
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Strasburg ) 0.121  3.838 314.17      (D Grubnic   ) 0.043  3.880 309.06
 Qualified:             #1  3.772 320.58                        #8  3.844 310.48

Schumacher has a twenty to five win record over Lucas and is nine and two in round two encounters.

Lucas gives a nobel try with a small lead off the starting line. He is still in front after sixty feet, but has the tires go up into smoke before the 660 lights. Schumacher eliminates any chance that McClennathan had for the championship.

Tony Schumacher's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.007), 330 ft(0.047), 660ft(0.289). MOV: 0.4719 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.157, 660ft-3.074/276.69 mph.
Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.209, 660ft-3.368/219.90 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Antron Brown                            7 Brandon Bernstein            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.062  3.856 314.90                     0.059  3.903 309.77
 Prior rounds:
E1    (U Erbacher  ) 0.046  3.824 317.19      (C Karamesine) 0.074  3.873 314.61
 Qualified:             #4  3.813 316.15                        #5  3.832 312.28

This will be a rubber match with both cars having six wins against each other. Bernstein has won all round four match ups.

As Frey says: " Its another good ol' drag race".

Almost the same RT and Brown open a lead early and holds steady from the 660 light to the finish line.

He will give up lane choice to Schumacher in round three.

That's the end of the Budweiser Team. On to 2010 and a new era!

Antron Brown's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.023), 330 ft(0.038), 660ft(0.036). MOV: 0.0446 seconds (approximately 20 feet).

Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.159, 660ft-3.084/274.61 mph.
Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.878 sec., 330ft-2.200, 660ft-3.123/273.50 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Larry Dixon                             3 Cory McClenathan             
E2   ****WINNER****  0.048  3.842 315.42                     0.062  3.829 320.51
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Cox Jr    ) 0.052  3.822 316.23      (B Vandergrif) 0.085  4.437 178.00
 Qualified:             #2  3.801 318.99                        #7  3.838 316.38

These two have met fifty-eight times before with Dixon having a 37-21 win advantage. Sixteen to nine in round two.

McClennathan may not be the 2009 Championship, but he sure did every thing he could to spoil Dixon's. He runs the table on incrementals, except for the vital RT, where Dixon gets the super close hole shot win. What a race!

Massey will have lane choice in the next round by 0.001.

Larry Dixon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.021), 330 ft(0.017), 660ft(0.011). MOV: 0.0014 seconds (approximately 8 inches).

Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.160, 660ft-3.074/276.07 mph.
Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.071/279.44 mph.

1:31 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink