Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 12:33 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations |
By Rick Green |
MADISON, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Second annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 34 Morgan Lucas 22 Doug Kalitta E1 ****WINNER**** 0.057 3.776 324.20 0.070 3.773 323.81 Qualified: #7 3.801 325.85 #10 3.826 325.06Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.63 inches, adjusted altitude 1,622 feet, track temperature 92 degrees. The weather conditions ar the best they have been all weekend.
Doug Kalitta came into the weekend tied for the top spot in the
points and Morgan Lucas came in in fourth place so this race is huge. Doug is 16-12 against Morgan
but they have split their six meetings this year. Lucas with the starting line advantage and the
power to hold on for the hole shot win. They both run their quickest passes of the weekend.
Morgan Lucas' MOV: 0.0103 seconds (approximately 5 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 99 Khalid alBalooshi 8 Bob Vandergriff E1 ****WINNER**** 0.092 3.806 322.50 0.078 3.859 319.22 Qualified: #4 3.794 322.81 #13 3.843 320.36Bob Vandergriff is in 7th place, and like those other drivers in the bottom half of the top ten he needs to win rounds today. This is the 27th time that Bob has qualified 13th in the field and he is 7-19 in round one when starting from that "lucky" spot...alBalooshi is coming off that DNQ in Dallas. alBalooshi is 4 - 1 against Vandergriff in prior events. Vandergriff with the starting line advantage, but alBalooshi has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and then never trails for the win. Khalid alBalooshi's MOV: 0.0392 seconds (approximately 18 feet).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
4 Shawn Langdon 497 Troy Buff
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.062 3.761 326.16 0.072 4.988 134.91
Qualified: #1 3.761 326.40 #16 3.977 286.92
Shawn Langdon qualified number one for the 6th time this year but he has yet to win from the
top spot. In fact, he has gone seven races without a win when qualifying number one..Langdon is 3 -
2 against Buff in prior events. Langdon is out of the gate first and never trailed for the win. He
matched his qualifying time for the win. Buff is up in smoke around 400 feet...
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 Tony Schumacher 21 Terry McMillen
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.059 3.796 324.28 0.070 6.382 101.45
Qualified: #2 3.782 327.74 #15 3.970 314.97
Tony Schumacher is 11-0 against Terry McMillen and 8 of those races have come in the first
round..Tony is 39-10 in round one when starting from the #2 spot but three of those losses have
come this year. Schumacher is out of the gate first and never trailed for the win. He will give
up lane choice to Lucas in the next round. McMillen is spinning the tires and dropping cylinders
right at the hit.Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 255 Clay Millican 3 Spencer Massey E1 ****WINNER**** 0.054 4.172 207.18 0.050 5.489 31.02 Qualified: #3 3.786 322.27 #14 3.853 319.37Clay Millican deserves a better fate when qualifying 3rd than to meet Spencer Massey in round one! Massey is in third place and Clay in sixth and he is still the only TF driver in the Countdown who has not won a race this year..Six of the eight drivers on this side of the ladder are in the Countdown. Massey is 6 - 0 against Millican in prior events. Massey with a slight starting line advantage and then is up in smoke. Millican starts to haze the tires just past half track and then the engine lets go with a big fireball, but he is able to coast for the win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 745 Brittany Force 5 Brandon Bernstein E1 ****WINNER**** 0.086 3.825 317.34 0.066 5.966 112.13 Qualified: #5 3.795 308.92 #12 3.840 318.92Bernstein is 1 - 0 against Force in prior events. Bernstein is out of the gate first and is up in smoke by 200 feet. Force with a real nice pass, straight down the groove for the win. she will give up lane choice to alBalooshi in the next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Antron Brown 474 Billy Torrence
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.054 3.827 321.73 0.094 5.454 134.59
Qualified: #6 3.796 318.24 #11 3.839 315.34
This is the first time Brown and Torrence have faced each other in eliminations. Brown is out
of the gate first and never trailed as Torrence drops a cylinder right at the hit and then is up in
smoke. Brown will have lane choice over Millican in the next round.Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 44 David Grubnic 475 Steve Torrence E1 ****WINNER**** 0.068 4.138 261.27 0.079 7.162 92.28 Qualified: #8 3.818 323.58 #9 3.818 323.43Since he is in tenth place Steve Torrence needs a good day today to keep his title hopes alive. David Grubnic can help his teammate, Doug Kalitta, by taking out one of the other drivers in the Countdown. Neither driver has won a round since we began the Countdown. Torrence is 5 - 3 against Grubnic in prior events. Grubnic is out of the gate first and then just past half track the car started to haze the tires and he pedaled it. When he pedaled it the car started to drop cylinders, but he stayed with for the win as Torrence was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Grubnic will give up lane choice to Langdon in the next round.
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