Sun, 31 Oct 2010, 06:04 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 10th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  875 Mark Mariani                            3 Antron Brown                 
E2                   0.084  4.001 302.28     ****WINNER****  0.066  3.875 318.09
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C McClenatha) 0.100  3.930 307.44      (T Zizzo     ) 0.066  3.896 309.91
 Qualified:            #15  3.986 286.92                       #10  3.911 311.27

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 27.97 inches, adjusted altitude 3,795 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed to take the win. Mariani with a great weekend in his NHRA debut.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  142 Dom Lagana                              2 Larry Dixon                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.056  3.967 305.63                     0.089  3.984 248.93
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.079  3.910 313.29      (T Buff      ) 0.076  3.847 319.98
 Qualified:            #11  3.928 309.27                        #3  3.825 318.99

This is the first time Lagana and Dixon have faced each other in eliminations. Lagana is out of the first and Dixon has the lead before they go by the Christmas tree and then his engine starts to go away around 800 feet. Lagana is able to chase him down to take the win by 0.0504 seconds (approximately 18 feet). The Top Fuel Championship will now be determined in Pomona. Lagana will give up lane choice to Brown in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                         475 Steve Torrence               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.069  4.386 269.78                     0.067  4.713 209.69
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Palmer    ) 0.121  3.846 317.49      (C Karamesine) 0.075  3.860 314.97
 Qualified:             #4  3.838 318.32                        #5  3.841 314.09

Torrence is 3 - 0 against Grubnic in prior events. Torrence with a slight starting line and then start to smoke the tires and pedaled it. Grubnic then started to smoke the tires and he pedaled it. Torrence then started to haze the tires on the top end. Grubnic's engine let go with a big fireball. Grubnic gets the win light.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  333 Shawn Langdon                           1 Tony Schumacher              
E2                   0.055  3.901 310.41     ****WINNER****  0.062  3.820 325.61
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Bernstein ) 0.043  3.840 317.42      (B Vandergrif) 0.090  3.794 324.51
 Qualified:             #9  3.891 315.19                        #1  3.812 325.14

Schumacher is 5 - 2 against Langdon in prior events. Langdon with with the starting line advantage, but Schumacher has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree. Schumacher runs the fastest pass in the history of the 1000-foot era. That the set the National Speed record. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.173, 660ft-3.074/282.24 mph. Schumacher will have lane choice over Grubnic in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink