Drag Race Central - NHRA
Sun, 06 Oct 2013, 11:35 AM

Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations
By Rick Green



MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                       5 Brandon Bernstein            
E1                   0.085  3.810 320.20     ****WINNER****  0.058  3.787 321.58
 Qualified:            #13  3.843 320.89                        #4  3.788 324.44
Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 72 percent, barometer 29.47 inches, adjusted altitude 2,410 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

Khalid alBalooshi is the defending event champion. alBalooshi and Bernstein have each won 3 times against the other in prior events. Bernstein is out of the gate first and never trailed for the win, Bernstein with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.142, 660ft-3.040/281.30 mph. alBalooshi with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.154, 660ft-3.059/281.83 mph.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  288 Sidnei Frigo                           34 Morgan Lucas                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.036  3.905 310.27                     0.046  6.175 103.08
 Qualified:            #16  3.897 304.60                        #1  3.772 314.90
This is the third time this year Morgan Lucas has qualified #1. In his previous two starts he lost in round one at one race and won the other race, so it's all or nothing for him..For his career he is 9-1 on the first round when starting from the top of the field..Sidnei Frigo, a Rookie of the Year nominee, is looking for his first round win and this is his sixth start in Top Fuel. This is the first time Frigo and Lucas have faced each other in eliminations. Frigo with the starting line and never trails for the win as Lucas is up in smoke right off the starting line and can't recover. Frigo was mixing up cylinders on the top end, but held on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Langdon                         777 Leah Pruett                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  5.504 172.81                     0.056  6.265  77.39
 Qualified:             #2  3.776 325.14                       #15  3.869 319.98
Leah Pruett is a Rookie of the Year nominee. She beat Shawn Langdon in Phoenix to win the first round of her Top Fuel career...Shawn comes into the day as the points leader. Pruett is 1 - 0 against Langdon in prior events. Pruett with the starting line advantage and then Langdon starts to smoke the tires. Then Pruett is dropping cylinders and the car bangs the blower and out comes the chutes. Langdon gets back on the throttle and is on and off the throttle multiple times to get the win. He doesn't chase her down until around 800 feet and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tony Schumacher                        21 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.039  3.767 326.40                     0.065  3.857 322.81
 Qualified:             #3  3.778 323.97                       #14  3.863 321.50
Tony Schumacher is 12-0 against Terry McMillen and this is a re-match of the first round last week in St. Louis.Tony has won this race four times. Schumacher is out of the gate first and then runs low E.T. and top mph of the event for the win. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.144, 660ft-3.027/287.53 mph. McMillen with a good pass in the losing effort, his quickest of the weekend .

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  474 Billy Torrence                          1 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.099  3.808 325.92     ****WINNER****  0.055  3.811 321.88
 Qualified:            #12  3.821 318.39                        #5  3.793 324.98
The Antron Brown - Billy Torrence race is a re-match of last week in St. Louis. Antron is 13-0 against the Torrence family..Billy has one round win in his four starts this year and has been nominated for Rookie of the Year. Brown with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Antron Brown's MOV: 0.0414 seconds (approximately 20 feet). Brown will give up lane choice to Bernstein in the next round. Torrence with his career quickest and fastest pass in the losing effort. Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.063/282.13 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  745 Brittany Force                         22 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.085  3.803 324.12     ****WINNER****  0.084  3.779 326.63
 Qualified:            #11  3.820 323.58                        #6  3.808 322.27
Force and Kalitta have each won 2 times against the other in prior events. They leave together and at 330 feet they are even, but then Kalitta moves on for the win. Doug Kalitta's MOV: 0.0251 seconds (approximately 12 feet). Kalitta with his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.151, 660ft-3.039/286.32 mph. Kalitta will give up lane choice to Schumacher in the next round. Force with her quickest and fastest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.150, 660ft-3.057/282.54 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                           8 Bob Vandergriff              
E1                   0.048  3.876 270.00     ****WINNER****  0.071  3.820 320.58
 Qualified:            #10  3.819 322.96                        #7  3.809 323.04
Grubnic is 9 - 8 against Vandergriff in prior events. Grubnic with the starting line advantage and the lead until the car starts mixing up cylinders and the engine lets go with a quick fireball. Vandergriff is able to chase him down and take the win by 0.0334 seconds (approximately 13 feet). Vandergriff will have lane choice over Langdon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Spencer Massey                        255 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.042  3.806 323.97                     0.056  3.797 322.27
 Qualified:             #8  3.813 314.09                        #9  3.814 323.66
For the second consecutive race it's Clay Millican and Spencer Massey in round one. Clay won last week in St. Louis. Clay is still the only driver in the top ten without a win this year. Spencer has won four times in 2013..This is the only matchup in round one between drivers who are in the Countdown. Massey is 6 - 1 against Millican in prior events. Massey with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Spencer Massey's MOV: 0.0055 seconds (approximately 3 feet). Massey with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win and he will have lane choice over Frigo in the next round. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.166, 660ft-3.059/284.09 mph. Millican with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.148, 660ft-3.046/283.01 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink


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