Sun, 24 Feb 2013, 15:53 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 2 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
   44 David Grubnic                          34 Morgan Lucas                 
E2                   0.061  9.378  62.38     ****WINNER****  0.044  3.773 327.43
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Force     ) 0.080  5.580 198.38      (C Millican  ) 0.070  4.074 211.99
 Qualified:             #4  3.783 318.62                       #12  3.820 319.22

Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 28.71 inches, adjusted altitude 1,856 feet, track temperature 84 degrees.

Lucas was out of the gate first and then runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Grubnic was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pruett                             1 Antron Brown                 
E2                   0.073  7.773  81.33     ****WINNER****  0.058  3.786 307.93
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Langdon   ) 0.029  4.522 234.25      (T McMillen  ) 0.065  3.798 321.96
 Qualified:             #7  3.812 310.63                        #2  3.765 314.83

This is the first time Pruett and Brown have faced each other in eliminations. Brown is out of the gate first and straight down the groove with a really nice pass for the win. Pruett is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   91 Larry Dixon                             3 Spencer Massey               
E2                   0.081  5.151 149.03     ****WINNER****  0.062  3.750 324.05
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Bernstein ) 0.071  4.942 283.13      (D Kalitta   ) 0.054  3.774 326.00
 Qualified:             #9  3.814 320.51                       #16  3.874 292.84

Massey is 8 - 5 against Dixon in prior events. Massey is out of the gate first and straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win...that is also the quickest pass of the round and he will have lane choice over Lucas in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tony Schumacher                        99 Khalid alBalooshi            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.088  3.747 329.91                     0.073  5.172 154.78
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Frigo     ) 0.065  3.806 313.80      (B Vandergrif) 0.218  3.770 325.85
 Qualified:             #3  3.768 325.37                        #6  3.811 315.86

Schumacher is 3 - 1 against alBalooshi in prior events. alBalooshi with a slight starting line advantage, but then is up in smoke and pedaled it and was back up in smoke before he clicked it off. Schumacher launched hard and was straight down the groove the three before him struggled with getting down. Schumacher with the quickest pass of the round and will have lane choice over Brown in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink