Sun, 23 Feb 2014, 15:09 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Tony Schumacher                       745 Brittany Force               
E2                   0.102  5.017 179.06     ****WINNER****  0.118  3.805 322.58
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T McMillen  ) 0.098  3.779 326.56      (D Grubnic   ) 0.091  3.821 316.97
 Qualified:             #2  3.757 325.14                       #10  3.813 321.04

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 28.75 inches, adjusted altitude 2,777 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Schumacher is 2 - 0 against Force in prior events. Schumacher with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke early and Force had the lead by 150 feet and never trailed from there on. Force with her quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   99 Khalid alBalooshi                      22 Doug Kalitta                 
E2                   0.111  4.563 216.31     ****WINNER****  0.089  4.458 250.04
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Pritchett ) 0.084  3.778 325.14      (S Palmer    ) 0.083  3.781 324.67
 Qualified:             #9  3.787 313.80                        #1  3.735 327.74

alBalooshi is 5 - 3 against Kalitta in prior events. This is a rematch of the final from Pomona. Kalitta is out of the gate first and then is up in smoke. He pedaled it at least three times and it appeared to use up an engine, but held on for the win. alBalloshi was up in smoke right after Kalitta and he pedaled it, but couldn't chase Kalitta down.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Spencer Massey                        475 Steve Torrence               
E2                   0.050  4.223 230.17     ****WINNER****  0.041  3.793 319.98
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Vandergrif) 0.068  3.826 319.90      (T Buff      ) 0.086  3.775 325.22
 Qualified:            #11  3.821 313.88                        #3  3.758 321.96

Massey is 6 - 5 against Torrence in prior events. Torrence is out of the gate first and never trailed with the quickest pass of the round for the win. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.831 sec., 330ft-2.141, 660ft-3.042/280.89 mph. Massey started to haze the tires around 300 feet and he pedaled it, but couldn't get it to hook up. Torrence will have lane choice over Force in the semifinal.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Antron Brown                            1 Shawn Langdon                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.065  3.771 322.34                     0.042  3.851 291.95
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Crampton  ) 0.071  3.825 314.83      (C Millican  ) 0.067  3.745 320.36
 Qualified:             #5  3.768 323.27                        #4  3.763 323.27

Brown is 12 - 7 against Langdon in prior events. Langdon with the starting line advantage and the lead until around half track when he started to drop cylinders. Brown took the lead around half track and then runs the quickest pass of the round for the win. He will have lane choice over Kalitta in the semifinal.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink