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Sun, 24 Feb 2013, 13:37 PM

Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Langdon                         777 Leah Pruett                  
E1                   0.052  5.466 144.30     ****WINNER****  0.029  4.522 234.25
 Qualified:            #10  3.815 319.90                        #7  3.812 310.63

Weather conditions: air temperature 56 degrees, relative humidity 21 percent, barometer 28.74 inches, adjusted altitude 1,455 feet, track temperature 81 degrees.

This is the first time in his last thirteen races that Shawn Langdon has started from the bottom half of the field. This is the first time Langdon and Pruett have faced each other in eliminations. Pruett with the starting line advantage, but then starts shake and drop a cylinder...Langdon was up in smoke early and Pruett got back on the throttle and got the car to hook up for the win. Langdon got real close to the wall, and pedaled it, but couldn't chase her down.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                          255 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  4.074 211.99                     0.080  4.073 256.89
 Qualified:            #12  3.820 319.22                        #5  3.810 323.66

Morgan Lucas is in a bit of a drought having won just one round in his last five starts. Millican is 3 - 1 against Lucas in prior events. Lucas with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Lucas' engine went silent on the top end and was coasting, but Millican started to lose traction and pedaled it, but wasn't able to chase him down. Morgan Lucas' MOV: 0.0094 seconds (approximately 4 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  745 Brittany Force                         44 David Grubnic                
E1                   0.146  5.851 115.95     ****WINNER****  0.080  5.580 198.38
 Qualified:            #13  3.831 321.81                        #4  3.783 318.62

Brittany Force is the 63rd different driver and the 5th woman that David Grubnic has raced. He is 10 - 15 against the other four women drivers. Grubnic is out of the gate first and is up in smoke and then Force goes up in smoke. When Force goes back up in smoke, Grubnic gets back on it and chases her down as she is on and off the throttle trying to get it to hook up and then her chute deploys early. Grubnic will give up lane choice to Lucas in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Terry McMillen                          1 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.085  4.752 156.15     ****WINNER****  0.065  3.798 321.96
 Qualified:            #15  3.872 320.51                        #2  3.765 314.83

Antron Brown is 207 - 54 in is career in the first round which means he wins almost 80% of the time. Impressive! ..Antron is the defending event champion. Brown is 5 - 2 against McMillen in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Brown gets his car to hook up and runs the quickest pass of the round. Brown will have lane choice over Pruett in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Spencer Massey                         22 Doug Kalitta                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.054  3.774 326.00                     0.080  3.756 329.67
 Qualified:            #16  3.874 292.84                        #1  3.733 329.02

This is Doug Kalitta's first #1 spot since Sonoma last year and his 32nd overall. In all of his previous starts he has only won the race three times and the last time he did it was in Sonoma in 2004..Doug won here in 2001. This is Kalitta's career quickest pass.
It is Spencer Massey's second time as #16, the last time he did it was at Indy in 2009 and he went to the semi-finals. Massey with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Spencer Massey's MOV: 0.0087 seconds (approximately 4 feet). Kalitta with the quickest pass of the round in the losing effort. Massey with second quickest pass of the round.

Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.137, 660ft-3.033/284.81 mph.
Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.142, 660ft-3.021/287.90 mph.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  288 Sidnei Frigo                            2 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.055  9.965  80.81     ****WINNER****  0.065  3.806 313.80
 Qualified:            #14  3.866 316.60                        #3  3.768 325.37

In each of his first two starts Sidnei Frigo has met Tony Schumacher in the first round. Frigo is out of the gate first, but is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. Schumacher is dropping cylinders early, but keeps it hooked up for the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Bob Vandergriff                        99 Khalid alBalooshi            
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.218  3.770 325.85
 Qualified:            #11  3.818 321.88                        #6  3.811 315.86

This is Khalid alBalooshi's second consecutive start from the #6 spot to start the year, He went to the semi-finals in Pomona. Vandergriff did the burnout and then is shut off when he got back to the starting line. alBalooshi launched hard and runs his quickest pass of the weekend and the quickest pass of the winning cars. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.136, 660ft-3.027/284.69 mph. alBalooshi will have lane choice over Schumacher in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                             5 Brandon Bernstein            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.071  4.942 283.13                     0.062  4.991 168.66
 Qualified:             #9  3.814 320.51                        #8  3.813 305.22

Brandon Bernstein and Larry Dixon will meet for the 42nd time and Brandon leads the series 21-20.In all of those meetings this will only be the fifth time they have met in the first round and Brandon in 3-1 in those earlier meetings.Larry has won this race three times and Brandon has won it twice. Bernstein with a slight starting line advantage and the lead until the car starts haze the tires and the engine lets go with a quick flash of flame...he is just coasting and when Dixon sees Bernstein get in trouble he gets back on the throttle and is able to chase him down and take the win by 0.0406 seconds (approximately 10 feet). Dixon will give up lane choice to Massey in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink