Sun, 13 Jun 2010, 11:36 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                           44 David Grubnic                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.105  4.669 221.74                     0.117  4.793 194.83
 Qualified:             #8  3.853 314.90                        #9  3.893 307.79

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 66 percent, barometer 29.77 inches, adjusted altitude 2,410 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Kalitta is 16 - 4 against Grubnic in prior events. Kalitta is out of the gate first, but Grubnic is up in smoke first. He pedals it, but can't get it to hook up. Kalitta is up in smoke right after Grubnic did, and he stayed with it...the car was way side ways but he held on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  333 Shawn Langdon                          34 Morgan Lucas                 
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.118  5.535 124.30
 Qualified:             #7  3.835 313.95                       #10  3.897 304.53

Lucas is 2 - 0 against Langdon in prior events. Langdon can't get the car to start and then as the crew is working to get the car to start the chute pops out. Lucas has already done his burnout, so he will get a single here. He is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Cory McClenathan                           Bye
E1   ****WINNER****  0.107  5.490 120.46     
 Qualified:             #1  3.752 324.75                     Bye

McClenathan gets the bye here, for only his fourth time in his career. He is up in smoke by 250 feet and clicked it off, so he will give up lane choice to Kalitta in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Antron Brown                         5050 Scott Palmer                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.105  4.042 244.83                     0.070 No Time      
 Qualified:             #4  3.817 315.86                       #13  4.052 274.16

Palmer broke as soon as hit the throttle and coasted to a stop around half track. Brown was dropping cylinders early and then clicked it off early, but still gets the easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Brandon Bernstein                    1301 Doug Foley                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.105  3.978 298.27                     0.106  4.357 217.77
 Qualified:             #2  3.807 313.73                       #15  5.022 142.00

Foley is 2 - 1 against Bernstein in prior events. They leave together and Foley has the lead until around 400 feet when he starts mixing up the cylinders. Bernstein is dropping cylinders in the lights, but holds on for the win. Bernstein with the quickest pass of the round and will have lane choice over Lucas.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Larry Dixon                           700 Steven Chrisman              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.137  4.260 243.24                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #3  3.814 318.24                       #14  4.208 264.13

Dixon is 4 - 1 against Chrisman in prior events. Chrisman does his burnout and then after he backs up the crew shut him off. Dixon makes it to about half track and starts to haze the tires and he pedals it.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                       3516 Terry McMillen               
E1                   0.095  4.334 277.43     ****WINNER****  0.092  4.296 219.65
 Qualified:             #5  3.819 313.07                       #12  3.915 306.33

Torrence is 2 - 1 against McMillen in prior events. McMillen with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed as Torrence lost traction by 200 feet and pedaled it. McMillen started mixing up cylinders and then pushed out a head gasket with a quick flash of flames, but held on for the win. McMillen will give up lane choice to Brown in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                       121 Terry Haddock                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.096  4.641 216.65                     0.099  4.720 167.43
 Qualified:             #6  3.830 319.52                       #11  3.899 294.63

Schumacher is 4 - 1 against Haddock in prior events. Schumacher with the slight starting line advantage and then is up in smoke around 250 and pedals it. Haddock has the lead at 660 feet by 0.120 seconds, but then he starts to haze the tires and his engine goes silent. That was all Schumacher need to chase him down in the lights and take the win. Tony Schumacher's MOV: 0.0827 seconds (approximately 20 feet). Schumacher will give up lane choice to Dixon in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink