Sun, 11 Apr 2010, 05:44 PM Top Fuel Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Antron Brown                            2 Larry Dixon                  
E4                   0.038  4.638 173.32     ****WINNER****  0.044  4.541 222.36
 Prior rounds:
E3    (M Lucas     ) 0.063  3.873 314.17      (C McClenatha) 0.058  3.891 313.95
E2    (S Langdon   ) 0.077  3.964 303.37      (D Grubnic   ) 0.113  3.854 314.68
E1    (S Massey    ) 0.065  3.858 315.27      (D Cox       ) 0.008  3.853 316.15
 Qualified:             #2  3.777 318.09                        #1  3.772 323.19

4:34 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 30.13 inches, adjusted altitude 1,517 feet, track temperature 111 degrees.

Dixon is 6 - 3 against Brown in prior events and each has won once against the other in final rounds. Dixon has 49 prior wins in 93 final rounds, Brown has 24 wins in 50 prior final rounds. This is the fourth time the #1 and #2 qualifiers have met in the final round at this event and the #1 qualifier has won this event two of the last three years.

All that hype and it turned into a pedaling contest, with Dixon coaxing his flaming beast to the stripe first. Literally, because he "blowed it up" and the engine was ablaze as he crossed the finish line. Dixon's 50th win was not pretty, but it was fun to watch. Brown smoked the tires second and had the initial lead in the pedaling contest, but Dixon managed to regain enough traction to spurt into the lead when it counted. Larry Dixon's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.008), 330 ft(-0.095), 660ft(-0.126). MOV: 0.0919 seconds (approximately 23 feet).

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink