Sun, 19 Jun 2011, 04:30 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Shawn Langdon                           2 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.049  3.910 303.64     ****WINNER****  0.035  3.883 322.34
 Qualified:             #9  3.889 316.15                        #8  3.887 318.92

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 70 percent, barometer 28.34 inches, adjusted altitude 3,765 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Schumacher is 6 - 3 against Langdon in prior events. Schumacher with the starting line advantage and never trailed with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Big top end speed for Schumacher and the track speed record. Tony Schumacher's MOV: 0.0410 seconds (approximately 18 feet). Langdon with a good pass, but slowed from his qualifying time.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                         3516 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.050  3.883 315.78                     0.081  7.963  88.17
 Qualified:            #10  3.902 314.02                        #7  3.879 316.45

Lucas is 2 - 0 against McMillen in prior events. Lucas is out of the gate first and runs his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win light. McMillen lost traction right off the starting line and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 Bob Vandergriff                         4 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.080  6.095 113.80     ****WINNER****  0.059  3.918 309.56
 Qualified:            #12  3.906 312.57                        #5  3.864 317.12

Brown is 3 - 1 against Vandergriff in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and is straight down the groove for the win light. Vandergriff starts to lose traction early and pedals it one time, but can't get it to hook up and clicks it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  323 Chris Karamesines                      22 Doug Kalitta                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.130  4.058 298.27                     0.096  5.158 171.69
 Qualified:            #13  4.038 301.00                        #4  3.856 320.66

Kalitta is 2 - 0 against Karamesines in prior events. Kalitta is out of the gate first, but is up in smoke and pedals it, but can't get it to hook up. Karamesines is straight down the groove with a good clean pass for the win. This is "The Greeks" first round win since 1990, now you have to take in account that Karamesines does race but just a few race each year. Karamesines 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
 3997 Austin Lambright                        7 Brandon Bernstein            
E1                   0.096  4.043 292.96     ****WINNER****  0.063  3.884 308.14
 Qualified:            #16  4.324 206.10                        #1  3.828 316.52

Bernstein is out of the gate first and takes the win. He will give up lane choice to Schumacher in the next round, by 0.001 seconds. Lambright in his first race and first start is straight down the groove in a losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Larry Dixon                           552 Rod Fuller                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.063  3.883 314.90                     0.046  6.787  88.95
 Qualified:             #2  3.831 319.37                       #15  4.309 286.62

Dixon is 7 - 5 against Fuller in prior events. Fuller with the starting line advantage and is up in smoke early and pedaled it, but it didn't hook up. Dixon with a great pass and matches Lucas and Schumacher for low E.T. of the round. He will give up lane choice to Lucas based on speed.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  303 Pat Dakin                             421 Spencer Massey               
E1                   0.067 10.294  56.01     ****WINNER****  0.065  3.871 318.62
 Qualified:            #14  4.057 296.76                        #3  3.852 320.74

Massey is 2 - 0 against Dakin in prior events. Dakin starts to lose traction early and clicks it off. Massey launched hard and was straight down the groove and runs low E.T. of the round for the win. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.194, 660ft-3.111/278.75 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                          99 Del Worsham                  
E1                   0.088  5.937 106.87     ****WINNER****  0.051  3.883 316.45
 Qualified:            #11  3.905 313.07                        #6  3.865 312.78

Worsham is 1 - 0 against Grubnic in prior events. Worsham with the starting line advantage and never trailed as he runs 3.883 for the win. Grubnic started to lose traction early and clicked it off. Worsham will give up lane choice to Massey in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink