Mon, 02 Sep 2013, 14:12 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 59th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                     255 Clay Millican                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.071  4.055 279.67                     0.067  4.387 197.80
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Grubnic   ) 0.040  3.794 320.05      (T Schumacher) 0.068  3.800 321.88
 Qualified:            #10  3.832 319.60                       #15  3.852 319.07

1:37 p.m.

This is the first time that the #1 qualifiers in Top Fuel and Funny Car have lost in round one at the U.S. Nationals.

Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 62 percent, barometer 28.97 inches, adjusted altitude 3,479 feet, track temperature 110 degrees.

Millican is 4 - 1 against alBalooshi in prior events, 1-0 in round two.

Both drivers had problems after almost identical launches. alBalooshi was slightly ahead at 330 feet, but he dropped a cylinder. Then Millican lost traction and the race was over - alBalooshi nursing a wounded car to the stripe.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Morgan Lucas                           22 Doug Kalitta                 
E2                   0.057  9.170  75.58     ****WINNER****  0.070  3.849 320.89
 Prior rounds:
E1    (A Brown     ) 0.053  3.784 320.28      (B Vandergrif) 0.060  3.798 322.42
 Qualified:            #16  3.878 313.80                        #8  3.829 320.81

Kalitta is 15-11 against Lucas in prior events, but Lucas is 5-3 in round two.

Lucas had the early lead, then lost traction and got veru sideways, the car momentarily lifting the left rear tire off the track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                        474 Billy Torrence               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.082 10.025  69.91                           No Time      
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Johnson Jr) 0.057  3.775 328.38      (S Massey    ) 0.071  3.820 322.50
 Qualified:             #3  3.815 325.61                        #6  3.823 324.36

Last time a father and son faced each other in TF was in 1996 at Topeka when Connie and Scott Kalitta faced each other.

Dad (Billy) made a very long burnout, rolled almost to the 660-foot marker, then backed up. The crew spotted a missing brake pad - which meant almost no brakes - and they shut the car off. Then Steve launched and immediately lost traction. Steve Torrence will not have lane choice when he races alBalooshi in the semifinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Langdon                          21 Terry McMillen               
E2   ****WINNER****  0.059  3.847 320.28                     0.226 12.255  55.11
 Prior rounds:
E1    (P Dakin     ) 0.065  3.785 324.44      (B Force     ) 0.083  3.847 319.52
 Qualified:             #5  3.821 322.34                       #13  3.843 320.28

Langdon is 8-1 against McMillen in prior events, 2-0 in round two.

McMillen's fuel cap came loose on the launch and he spun the tires immediately, then lifted. Langdon made a full pass, will have lane choice against Kalitta in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink