Sun, 18 Apr 2010, 02:34 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3516 Terry McMillen                          5 Brandon Bernstein            
E1                   0.096  5.380 129.07     ****WINNER****  0.056  3.984 308.28
 Qualified:             #9  4.031 290.19                        #8  4.000 306.19

Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 27.77 inches, adjusted altitude 4,532 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

This is the first time McMillen and Bernstein have faced each other in eliminations. Bernstein is first out of the gate and never trailed as he runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win light. McMillen started to smoke the tires around 330 feet 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                          72 Mike Strasburg               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.051  4.020 299.53                     0.073  4.142 288.09
 Qualified:             #7  3.991 308.14                       #10  4.039 306.19

This is the first time Langdon and Strasburg have faced each other in eliminations. Langdon was first off the line like he has done all year and never trailed in this race as they both slowed from their qualifying times.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                          497 Troy Buff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.065  3.994 300.93                     0.111  4.117 278.81
 Qualified:             #6  3.980 303.50                       #11  4.094 276.29

Lucas and Buff have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. Lucas with the starting line advantage and just increased his lead at every increment. Lucas a few ticks off his qualifying time for the win. Buff was dropping some cylinders on the top end...

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  723 Rob Passey                              3 Antron Brown                 
E1                   1.327 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.078  4.325 228.00
 Qualified:            #16  4.562 241.15                        #1  3.881 316.60

Brown is 1 - 0 against Passey in prior events. Passey just didn't move when the light turned green. Brown started to haze the tires around half track and pedaled it. He then hurt the engine and coasted through the 1000 feet for the win. He will give up lane choice to Bernstein in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  735 Steve Faria                             2 Larry Dixon                  
E1                   0.074  4.266 260.46     ****WINNER****  0.103  4.135 264.29
 Qualified:            #15  4.528 185.23                        #2  3.894 314.24

This is the first time Faria and Dixon have faced each other in eliminations. Faria with the starting line advantage, but Dixon had the difference made up by the time they went by the Christmas tree. Dixon started to smoke the tires around 400 feet and he pedaled it about the time Faria's engine went away with a big fireball. Dixon will give up lane choice to Langdon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  700 Steven Chrisman                        22 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.124  5.241 140.71     ****WINNER****  0.083  4.039 303.98
 Qualified:            #14  4.149 283.61                        #3  3.909 315.56

Kalitta is 2 - 0 against Chrisman in prior events. Kalitta was out of the gate first and was straight down the groove for the win light...Chrisman started to lose traction around 300 feet and clicked it off. Kalitta will give up lane choice to Lucas in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Terry Haddock                           4 Cory McClenathan             
E1                   0.104  4.153 240.47     ****WINNER****  0.082  3.906 312.35
 Qualified:            #13  4.137 283.55                        #4  3.912 312.57

McClenathan is 2 - 0 against Haddock in prior events. McClenathan is out of the gate first and straight down the groove with his his quickest pass of the weekend and the quickest pass of the round for a win. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.191, 660ft-3.127/270.75 mph. Haddock with a clean pass and clicked it off early when he saw that he wasn't catching McClenathan.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                           1 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.209  5.150 136.10     ****WINNER****  0.123  3.925 313.07
 Qualified:            #12  4.105 295.46                        #5  3.942 308.07

Schumacher is 28 - 7 against Grubnic in prior events. Schumacher with the starting line advantage and never trailed with the second quickest pass of the session for the win. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.205, 660ft-3.147/270.48 mph. He will give up lane choice to McClenathan in the next round. Grubnic with problems as the car went silent around half track.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink