Sun, 10 Nov 2013, 16:41 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  745 Brittany Force                          5 Brandon Bernstein            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.064  3.855 313.37                     0.070  6.311 105.96
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Massey    ) 0.061  4.594 188.25      (B Torrence  ) 0.110  4.410 222.07
 Qualified:             #8  3.784 323.74                        #1  3.748 325.37

1:14 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 28.97 inches, adjusted altitude 2,777 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Two second generation drives come to the line. Force and Bernstein have each won 1 times against the other in prior events and have never met in round two.

Both cars smokes the tires in round one and Bernstein does so again. He leaves just 0.006 behind Force and is just 0.001 behind at sixty feet. Right before the 330 lights the tires are up in smoke and he is done.

Force gets a full pass this time and goes on to round three.

Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.168, 660ft-3.086/275.84 mph.
Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.343, 660ft-4.201/114.63 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  255 Clay Millican                          34 Morgan Lucas                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.053  3.776 325.77                     0.047  3.782 320.13
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Buff      ) 0.084  3.791 325.30      (T McMillen  ) 0.061  3.793 325.22
 Qualified:             #3  3.761 324.98                        #6  3.782 320.20

Millican is 5 - 3 against Lucas in prior events and is three and zero in round two.

Lucas gets the starting line advantage and holds off Millican to after the 660 lights. They are welded together to the finish line and Millican sneaks on by for the three inch win.

Clay Millican's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.004), 330 ft(-0.010), 660ft(-0.008). MOV: 0.0006 seconds (approximately 3 inches).

Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.144, 660ft-3.035/285.95 mph.
Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.033/284.99 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Antron Brown                           22 Doug Kalitta                 
E2                   0.059  3.825 310.84     ****WINNER****  0.069  3.797 325.22
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Vandergrif) 0.050  3.762 324.75      (T Schumacher) 0.058  3.757 328.70
 Qualified:             #5  3.775 322.42                        #4  3.762 326.08

Brown is 18 - 11 against Kalitta in prior events. They are five and five in round two.

Another strong side by side race. Brown has a 0.010 advantage off the line and stays there until near the top end, where the engine starts to drop cylinders. Kalitta just gets on by for the win.

Looks like there was a big blower bang after the finish line for Kalitta. He will have lane choice over Force in round three.

Doug Kalitta's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.016), 330 ft(-0.027), 660ft(-0.013). MOV: 0.0185 seconds (approximately 8 feet).

Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.133, 660ft-3.048/273.77 mph.
Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.150, 660ft-3.051/282.60 mph.

1:25 p.m. There is a big cleanup on the track after the finish line, but in Brown's lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 David Grubnic                           4 Shawn Langdon                
E2                   0.090  3.802 319.45     ****WINNER****  0.052  3.779 326.08
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K alBalooshi) 0.099  3.839 309.70      (S Torrence  ) 0.048  3.781 322.42
 Qualified:             #7  3.783 318.92                        #2  3.750 327.03

1:34 p.m. ...back to racing.

Langdon is 6 - 5 against Grubnic in prior events and they are 2-2 in round two match ups.

Langdon gets a big advantage off the line and pulls steadily ahead for the decisive win over Grubnic. He runs quicker that his round one times, but give up lane choice to Millican by just 0.003!

Shawn Langdon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.051), 330 ft(0.070), 660ft(0.058). MOV: 0.0619 seconds (approximately 29 feet).

David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.054/284.33 mph.
Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.129, 660ft-3.034/281.54 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink