Sun, 07 Jul 2013, 13:24 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

NORWALK, Ohio - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                     323 Chris Karamesines            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.115  3.811 320.89                     0.173  3.963 276.97
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Brown     ) 0.075  4.150 257.53      (T Schumacher) 0.335  3.949 305.91
 Qualified:            #10  3.820 321.50                       #15  4.020 264.55

This is the first time alBalooshi and Karamesines have faced each other in eliminations. Karamesines has lane choice for the first time since the semifinal at Seattle in 1990 a span of 122 races.

alBalooshi with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. alBalooshi with his quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                        255 Clay Millican                
E2                   0.048  4.146 270.32     ****WINNER****  0.048  3.802 324.90
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T McMillen  ) 0.094  3.794 327.35      (M Lucas     ) 0.065  3.791 323.97
 Qualified:             #6  3.806 327.03                        #3  3.789 327.27

Millican is 3 - 1 against Torrence in prior events. They leave together with identical reaction times and Torrence has the lead until just before half track when hazing the tires and pedaled it and then started dropping cylinders. Millican with a great looking pass, straight down the groove for the win. He will have lane choice over alBalooshi in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kalitta                            3 Spencer Massey               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.062  3.807 326.40                     0.076  6.357  96.18
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Buff      ) 0.111  3.828 323.74      (D Grubnic   ) 0.068  3.769 324.51
 Qualified:             #1  3.767 327.74                        #9  3.819 324.67

Massey is 8 - 3 against Kalitta in prior events. Kalitta with the starting line advantage and never trailed as Massey was up in smoke early in the run. Kalitta with a big top end speed again for Kalitta.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Bob Vandergriff                         4 Shawn Langdon                
E2                   0.046  5.554 105.54     ****WINNER****  0.058  4.467 228.00
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Dixon     ) 0.121  3.789 322.04      (J Todd      ) 0.017  3.752 326.08
 Qualified:             #4  3.801 321.04                        #5  3.802 315.64

Langdon is 8 - 1 against Vandergriff in prior events. Vandergriff with the starting line advantage and the lead until just before half track when it started to spin the tires and pedaled it and when he did the engine let go with a huge bang and fireball. Langdon started smoking tires and pedaled it a couple time and gets the win. He will give up lane choice to Kalitta in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink