Sun, 1 Jun 2003, 02:57 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Sixth annual Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Cory McClenathan                     3000 Tim Cullinan
E2   ****WINNER****  0.085  4.663 273.83                     0.052  4.773 278.29
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Grubnic   ) 0.081  4.636 315.49      (D Kalitta   ) 0.075 13.271  73.60
 Qualified:             #7  4.570 320.58                       #15  4.812 291.63

Current weather conditions: 63 degrees, 38 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.11 inches, with a track temperature of 96 degrees.

Cullinan with the starting line advantage and was out ahead until just before half track when the car got loose and he pedaled it one time. McClenathan fireballed the engine about 1200 feet, but held on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 John Smith                            888 Jim Head
E2   ****WINNER****  0.048  4.681 296.63                     0.087  5.217 190.78
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Romine    ) 0.042  4.587 310.55      (D Baca      ) 0.096  4.616 319.45
 Qualified:             #4  4.556 325.77                       #12  4.668 317.42

This is only the second time these two have raced each other and Head won the first match-up.

Smith with the starting line advantage and never looked back. He was starting to mix up cylinders on the top end and then the engine went away with a quick fireball. Head started to lose traction right before half track and and pedaled it and then started dropping cylinders.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Larry Dixon                             9 Rhonda Hartman-Smith
E2   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.552 326.32                     0.059  4.643 300.00
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Troxel    ) 0.069  4.562 328.86      (S Weis      ) 0.085  4.768 304.12
 Qualified:             #3  4.550 328.86                        #6  4.562 316.23

Dixon has owned Hartman-Smith beating her 10 out of the 11 times they have met.

Rhonda did her job on the line and was out in front until just before 1000 feet when she started dropping cylinders and then the engine went away right before the finish line. Dixon with a great looking pass in the heat of the day.

Dixon will have lane choice over Cory McClenathan.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tony Schumacher                         6 Darrell Russell
E2   ****WINNER****  0.059  4.507 327.35                     0.059  4.591 319.67
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Novelli   ) 0.052  4.512 329.18      (K Bernstein ) 0.077 11.905  87.63
 Qualified:             #1  4.512 326.16                        #9  4.614 322.73

Schumacher with a slight advantage in head to head match ups 6-5. They had identical reaction times and 60-foot times and then it was all Schumacher with his career quickest E.T. to take the win and lane choice in the semifinal against Smith. Russell with a good pass just not enough for the quickest pass of the session.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink