Sun, 19 Sep 2010, 03:08 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Third annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Antron Brown                           22 Doug Kalitta                 
E2                   0.058  7.181 111.94     ****WINNER****  0.075  4.442 246.17
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Buff      ) 0.066  3.914 314.17      (B Vandergrif) 0.085  3.905 311.92
 Qualified:             #2  3.832 315.93                        #7  3.879 316.08

2:40 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 37 percent, barometer 29.41 inches, adjusted altitude 3,229 feet, track temperature 131 degrees.

This turned into a pedaling contest, Brown losing traction almost immediately, Kalitta getting about half way before also losing traction. He didn't know where Brown was, so he pedaled a couple of times and the engine finally let go, so we'll be down for another Safety Safari oildown conga line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Brandon Bernstein                     475 Steve Torrence               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.049  3.949 306.81                     0.074  4.463 261.78
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Dakin     ) 0.099  4.833 151.04      (T Zizzo     ) 0.076  3.899 311.99
 Qualified:             #3  3.839 317.34                       #11  3.954 305.08

Bernstein and Torrence have each won 1 time against the other in prior events. Torrence is 1-0 in round two matchups.

Bernstein evened the score here, Torrence behind all the way, then losing traction on the top end. Bernstein will have lane chocie against Kalitta in the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  552 Rod Fuller                              4 Cory McClenathan             
E2                   0.082  6.153 123.04     ****WINNER****  0.084  3.941 309.63
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Langdon   ) 0.061  3.890 318.54      (M Lucas     ) 0.055  3.872 318.09
 Qualified:             #8  3.893 311.49                        #1  3.831 321.12

McClenathan is 8 - 4 against Fuller in prior events, this is the first time they have squared off in round two.

Fuller was up in smoke early in the run, Cory Mac went down the right lane with no obvious problems.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                         2 Larry Dixon                  
E2                   0.036  8.831  75.02     ****WINNER****  0.076  4.813 283.91
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Herbert   ) 0.086  3.856 320.81      (D Grubnic   ) 0.070  3.840 318.17
 Qualified:             #5  3.866 308.64                        #4  3.846 315.93

Schumacher is 35 - 34 against Dixon in prior events, Dixon is 13-12 in round two matchups, it doesn't get any more even than that. One of the two favorites for the Countdown championship is going home early this weekend.

Both drivers lost traction almost instantly and both drivers pedaled. Dixon managed to find some traction, Schumacher did not.

Dixon will face McClenathan in the semifinals, Cory Mac has lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink