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Sun, 18 Oct 2015, 12:30 PM

Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  358 Richie Crampton                         5 Doug Kalitta                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  3.705 328.94                     0.082  3.761 326.56
 Qualified:             #6  3.758 324.75                       #11  3.796 321.12

Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 32 percent, barometer 29.82 inches, adjusted altitude 1,343 feet, track temperature 95 degrees.

Doug Kalitta has two wins at this race, in 2002 & 2013. This is his 18th race at this event. Crampton and Kalitta have each won 3 times against the other in prior events. Kalitta with a slight starting line advantage, but Crampton had the lead by the time they went by Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win. Crampton with low E.T. of the event and track E.T. record. Kalitta with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Antron Brown                            2 J.R. Todd                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.057  3.716 324.51                     0.068  3.777 326.56
 Qualified:             #7  3.760 319.67                       #10  3.785 317.64

Antron Brown won here in 2012. Antron's win in Reading was his 38th in the Top Fuel and that moved him into 9th place on the all-time win list in the nitro classes. J.R. Todd won this race in 2008. Brown is 10 - 1 against Todd in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Brown with the second quickest pass of the event for the win. Todd with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  335 Dave Connolly                         122 Jenna Haddock                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  3.789 325.61                     0.110  4.109 276.58
 Qualified:             #1  3.744 329.18                       #16  3.955 263.10

Dave Connolly won here three times in Pro Stock. Connolly with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Haddock had a hole out right at the hit.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  474 Billy Torrence                        448 Kebin Kinsley                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.130  3.732 326.71                     0.078  4.193 201.88
 Qualified:             #2  3.746 327.27                       #15  3.910 258.67

This is the first time Torrence and Kinsley have faced each other in eliminations. Kinsley with the starting line advantage, but Torrence was able to chase him down by just before half track and take the win. Torrence with his career best E.T. for the win. Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.823 sec., 330ft-2.109, 660ft-2.993/286.92 mph. He will give up lane choice to Brown in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Brittany Force                         21 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  3.756 327.90                     0.078  5.456 130.37
 Qualified:             #3  3.749 326.71                       #14  3.815 319.22

Force is 4 - 1 against McMillen in prior events. McMillen with the starting line advantage and then started to smoke the tires and clicked it off. force with another good looking pass for the win. She will give up lane choice to Crampton in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Langdon                         497 Troy Buff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.069  3.733 328.54                     0.096 14.710  33.74
 Qualified:             #4  3.754 325.85                       #13  3.814 313.37

Langdon is 7 - 2 against Buff in prior events. Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He makes his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Buff was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and clicked it off.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Steve Torrence                         91 Larry Dixon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.080  3.735 326.24                     0.072  3.759 323.81
 Qualified:             #5  3.756 323.12                       #12  3.805 321.96

Larry Dixon has won this race twice. This is the 20th time Larry has competed at this event. Dixon is 11 - 4 against Torrence in prior events. Dixon with a slight starting line advantage, but had the lead by the time they went by Christmas tree. Torrence with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win in a close one. Steve Torrence's MOV: 0.0164 seconds (approximately 8 feet). Dixon with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. He will give up lane choice to Langdon in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Tony Schumacher                        25 Clay Millican                
E1                   0.075  4.114 227.92     ****WINNER****  0.084  3.748 321.35
 Qualified:             #8  3.769 324.75                        #9  3.774 317.27

Tony Schumacher has won this race six times and is the defending event champion. Indianapolis is the only place where Tony has more wins than he does at this track. Schumacher with the slight starting line advantage and then started to haze the tires and Millican was able to drive around for the win. Millican with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win., He will have lane choice over Connolly in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink