Sun, 28 Oct 2012, 15:05 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 12th annual Big O Tires NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Shawn Langdon                         255 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.054  3.802 323.19                     0.056  8.583  87.08
 Qualified:             #6  3.809 319.52                       #11  3.860 315.71

Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 27.96 inches, adjusted altitude 3,258 feet, track temperature 84 degrees.

Langdon and Millican have each won 3 times against the other in prior events. They leave together and Millican is up in smoke as soon as hew hits the throttle. Langdon with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.159, 660ft-3.053/282.84 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  373 J.R. Todd                               6 Brandon Bernstein            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.039  3.826 322.11                     0.070  3.950 301.13
 Qualified:             #5  3.806 324.05                       #12  3.869 320.43

Todd is 6 - 4 against Bernstein in prior events. Todd with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Bernstein used up an engine in the loss and put some oil on the track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                          796 Cory McClenathan             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.073  3.822 326.32                     0.043  3.868 303.43
 Qualified:             #3  3.798 327.11                       #14  3.871 304.05

Kalitta is 25 - 20 against McClenathan in prior events. McClenathan with the starting line advantage and then used up an engine on the top end. Kalitta chases him down right in the lights and takes the win by 0.0168 seconds (approximately 7 feet). The word from the top end there is oil on the track. Kalitta will give up lane choice to Langdon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Spencer Massey                        317 T.J. Zizzo                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.060  3.809 325.14                     0.067  4.258 208.17
 Qualified:             #2  3.776 321.42                       #15  3.878 316.23

Massey is 2 - 1 against Zizzo in prior events. Massey with the slight starting line advantage and never trailed as he is straight down the groove for the win. Zizzo's car pitched the blower just past half track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Tony Schumacher                        21 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.087  3.788 326.32                     0.080  4.280 197.25
 Qualified:             #1  3.773 323.66                       #16  3.893 314.02

Schumacher is 10 - 0 against McMillen in prior events. McMillen with the starting line advantage and then started dropping cylinders before the engine let go with a huge fireball. Schumacher with a great pass the quickest of the round for the win. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.155, 660ft-3.047/285.17 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 Bob Vandergriff                        44 David Grubnic                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.068  3.971 258.67                     0.092  5.025 137.92
 Qualified:             #7  3.810 323.97                       #10  3.853 319.22

Grubnic is 9 - 7 against Vandergriff in prior events. Vandergriff with the starting line and never trailed for the win. Grubnic started to lose traction early and clicked it off...Vandergriff started to haze the tires around 800 feet. Vandergriff will give up lane choice to Massey in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                         34 Morgan Lucas                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.061  4.102 264.03                     0.066  4.536 232.63
 Qualified:             #8  3.823 296.11                        #9  3.835 317.79

Lucas is 4 - 3 against Torrence in prior events. Torrence with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Lucas is up in smoke early and pedaled it, but couldn't get it to hook up. Torrence started to smoke the tires on the top end, but held on for the win. Torrence will give up lane choice to Schumacher in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                       3 Antron Brown                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.102  4.470 241.07                     0.075  4.591 239.27
 Qualified:             #4  3.804 325.69                       #13  3.869 313.88

alBalooshi is 2 - 0 against Brown in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and then started dropping cylinders. Brown started to haze the tires and then hs banged the blower. alBalooshi started to smoke the tires and pedaled it and then the engine let go with a big fireball, but was able to drive around him for the win. The word from the top end there is oil on the track in alBalooshi's lane.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink