Mon, 6 Sep 2010, 03:10 PM Top Fuel Round 3 Eliminations

By David Gerard

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Larry Dixon                           333 Shawn Langdon                
E3   ****WINNER****  0.081  3.843 317.94                     0.061  3.900 306.19
 Prior rounds:
E2    (S Torrence  ) 0.111  3.830 319.37      (B Bernstein ) 0.075  5.313 111.65
E1    (B Litton    ) 0.078  3.815 321.12      (A Brown     ) 0.049  3.853 309.20
 Qualified:             #1  3.776 324.36                       #12  3.914 292.96

2:57 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 29.07 inches, adjusted altitude 3,136 feet, track temperature 121 degrees.

Dixon is 5 - 2 against Langdon in prior events and have never met in round three.

Langdon gets his signature hole shot over Dixon and leads him until near the 660 lights. The engine gets unhappy at that point and starts to push headgaskets out.

Dixon powers on by for a win into the final round.

Larry Dixon's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.010), 330 ft(-0.004), 660ft(0.011). MOV: 0.0370 seconds (approximately 17 feet).

Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.174, 660ft-3.085/279.90 mph.
Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.190, 660ft-3.116/273.33 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Cory McClenathan                        1 Tony Schumacher              
E3   ****WINNER****  0.067  4.342 236.05                     0.067  4.406 235.76
 Prior rounds:
E2    (T Zizzo     ) 0.073  3.821 321.27      (M Lucas     ) 0.065  3.881 318.77
E1    (T McMillen  ) 0.084  3.811 324.05      (T Haddock   ) 0.078  3.815 322.88
 Qualified:             #2  3.784 323.66                        #3  3.790 324.83

Schumacher is 29 - 16 against McClenathan in prior events and 8 - 1 in the third round.

Wild race for the other position in the final round. They cut identical RT's and Cory Mac starts to slowly pull ahead to near mid-track where they both start to spin the tires. Lots of pumping and stabbing the throttles the rest of the way to the finish line and the Fram car gets the nod by about a car length.

Cory McClenathan's incremental margins: 60ft(0.009), 330 ft(0.039), 660ft(0.049). MOV: 0.0648 seconds (approximately 22 feet).

Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.184, 660ft-3.321/210.73 mph.
Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.223, 660ft-3.370/207.53 mph.

3:05 p.m. Dixon will have lane choice in the final round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink