Sun, 07 Oct 2012, 18:01 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 28th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  173 Ike Maier                              99 Khalid alBalooshi            
E2                   0.108  5.081 197.54     ****WINNER****  0.102  3.966 328.46
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Grubnic   ) 0.099  5.699 202.18      (S Massey    ) 0.077  3.754 322.81
 Qualified:            #16  4.100 233.84                        #9  3.776 327.03

Weather conditions: air temperature 57 degrees, relative humidity 61 percent, barometer 29.45 inches, adjusted altitude 908 feet, track temperature 67 degrees.

This is the first time Maier and alBalooshi have faced each other in eliminations. After a hour and half rain delay we are back....alBalooshi with the starting line advantage and started to shake right off the starting line advantage and pedaled it one time. He got it to hook up and made a real nice pass after the pedal job for the win. Maier with alot of tire shake and pedaled it and then started dropping cylinders and that was an end to a good weekend for Maier.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Brandon Bernstein                       5 Tony Schumacher              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.065  3.736 330.31                     0.046  3.821 309.70
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Dixon     ) 0.065  3.749 327.11      (T McMillen  ) 0.074  3.744 326.71
 Qualified:             #6  3.758 326.48                        #3  3.736 324.20

Schumacher is 32 - 12 against Bernstein in prior events. Schumacher with the starting line advantage, but Bernstien had the lead by 330 feet and then ran he career quickest and fastest pass for the win. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.129, 660ft-3.003/289.76 mph. This pass ties for the fifth quickest of the history of Top Fuel.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Antron Brown                           34 Morgan Lucas                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.063  3.722 325.69                     0.066  5.859 115.84
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Torrence  ) 0.063  3.745 327.66      (D Lagana    ) 0.057  3.744 330.39
 Qualified:             #7  3.758 325.14                        #2  3.733 330.96

Brown is 15 - 3 against Lucas in prior events. Brown with slight starting line advantage and never trailed as Lucas was up in smoke right off the starting line. Brown with the quickest pass in the history of Top Fuel. Brown sets the Top Fuel National E.T. record. He will have lane choice over Bernstein in the semifinals. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.111, 660ft-2.983/289.38 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink