Sun, 25 May 2003, 05:27 PM Top Fuel Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 15th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Larry Dixon                             4 Doug Kalitta
E4   ****WINNER****  0.051  4.534 327.82                     0.043  4.575 324.20
 Prior rounds:
E3    (D Russell   ) 0.062  4.541 329.67      (K Bernstein ) 0.113  4.550 325.61
E2    (P Romine    ) 0.082  4.554 325.92      (C Mc Clenath) 0.061  4.582 319.75
E1    (C Karamesine) 0.074  4.533 329.67      (J Smith     ) 0.048  4.566 328.54
 Qualified:             #1  4.509 327.11                        #6  4.600 319.60

4:11 PM Current weather conditions: 71 degrees, 34 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.08 inches under partly cloudy skies, the track currently shaded by a cloud.

In 23 prior contests, Dixon held a 14-9 edge and was 3-2 in final rounds. Kalitta beat Dixon in Englishtown last weekend, while Dixon won in Las Vegas earlier this year. Kalitta left first, but Dixon erased that advantage in the first 60 feet, then moved out to a half car length lead and held it to the stripe. Larry Dixon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.000), 330 ft(0.041), 660ft(0.037), 1,000ft(0.032). MOV: 0.0336 seconds (approximately 16 feet). Dixon extends his points lead over Kalitta to 171 points - and, as a bonus, Dixon's team will be on the "Junkyard Mega Wars: Speedway Edition" on The Learning Channel tonight, at 9 and midnight Eastern time."

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink