Sun, 14 Feb 2010, 02:42 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                         333 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.099 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.044  3.855 315.93
 Qualified:             #9  3.849 315.93                        #8  3.847 309.98

Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 28.95 inches, adjusted altitude 2,441 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

Langdon is 1 - 0 against Grubnic in prior events. Grubnic broke as soon as he hit the throttle and came to a stop around 100 feet. Langdon with a real nice pass to start the day. He fastest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  800 Thomas Nataas                           5 Brandon Bernstein            
E1                   0.113 10.242  72.05     ****WINNER****  0.082  3.887 312.64
 Qualified:             #7  3.844 310.34                       #10  3.863 312.13

This is the first time Nataas and Bernstein have faced each other in eliminations. Nataas is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Bernstein was straight down the groove with a real nice looking pass. He was just a couple ticks off his qualifying time and this is his fastest pass of the weekend. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.183, 660ft-3.113/272.78 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Antron Brown                          475 Steve Torrence               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.052  3.883 314.61                     0.096  3.897 310.98
 Qualified:            #11  3.869 313.73                        #6  3.844 314.17

Brown is 2 - 0 against Torrence in prior events. This is a good drag race with Brown getting a starting line advantage and never trailed. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.194, 660ft-3.115/276.52 mph.
Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.197, 660ft-3.120/273.72 mph. Brown with his fastest pass of the weekend...

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  497 Troy Buff                              34 Morgan Lucas                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.019  3.950 295.85                     0.096  4.108 263.92
 Qualified:            #12  3.950 286.01                        #5  3.823 316.90

Lucas is 1 - 0 against Buff in prior events. Buff with the starting line advantage and matches his qualifying E.T. and runs runs his fastest mph of the weekend. Lucas was dropping cylinder early in the run and never got them to pick back up.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  735 Steve Faria                             4 Cory McClenathan             
E1                   0.085  5.482 126.82     ****WINNER****  0.068  3.843 318.77
 Qualified:            #16  5.610 121.18                        #1  3.787 320.05

This is the first time Faria and McClenathan have faced each other in eliminations. McClenathan with the starting line advantage and never trailed and runs the quickest E.T. of the round, so far. He will have lane choice over Langdon in round two. Faria started to smoke the tires around 100 feet and pedaled it one time and was back up in smoke.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  700 Steven Chrisman                         2 Larry Dixon                  
E1                   0.122  5.301 130.58     ****WINNER****  0.100  3.799 318.99
 Qualified:            #15  4.604 176.49                        #2  3.788 314.39

Dixon is 3 - 0 against Chrisman in prior events. Chrisman has been to all 50 Winternationals...Dixon is out of the gate first and then runs the quickest pass of the round for the win light. He will have lane choice over Bernstein in round two. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.042/280.54 mph. Chrisman was up in smoke by 150 feet and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  323 Chris Karamesines                       1 Tony Schumacher              
E1                  -0.302  8.115  66.89     ****WINNER****  0.242  7.838  73.37
 Qualified:            #14  4.035 305.91                        #3  3.801 320.05

Schumacher is 3 - 0 against Karamesines in prior events. Karamesines is real red and Schumacher is real late and then up in smoke right off the starting line. This the 15th consecutive race Schumacher has won round one. He will give up lane choice in round two to Brown. Apparently "The Greek" hurt the engine as there is fluids on the track and the Safety Safari is rolling.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3516 Terry McMillen                         22 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.105 11.960  54.85     ****WINNER****  0.107  4.518 254.14
 Qualified:            #13  3.955 303.64                        #4  3.822 317.72

This is the first time McMillen and Kalitta have faced each other in eliminations. They leave together and McMillen is up smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and clicked it off. Kalitta was dropping cylinder right off the starting line and then the engine went away with quick flash of flame on the top end. Kalitta will give up lane choice to Buff in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink