Sun, 01 Nov 2015, 14:32 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 15th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  358 Richie Crampton                       497 Troy Buff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.114  3.819 303.64                     0.101  3.888 311.70
 Qualified:             #5  3.752 317.94                       #12  3.828 314.68

Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 27.90 inches, adjusted altitude 4,333 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Crampton is 3 - 0 against Buff in prior events. Buff with the starting line advantage, but Crampton has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trailed for there on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Clay Millican                           4 Shawn Langdon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  3.768 319.52                     0.084  4.437 195.08
 Qualified:            #11  3.822 315.64                        #6  3.768 332.67

Langdon is 10 - 5 against Millican in prior events. Millican with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win as Langdon is up in around 300 feet. Langdon did a quick pedal job, but couldn't run Millican down as he is running his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Antron Brown                          122 Jenna Haddock                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.054  3.787 321.73                     0.111  3.850 311.63
 Qualified:             #1  3.722 326.95                       #16  3.952 251.11

Antron Brown won here in 2013. This is the 32nd #1 spot for Antron in Top Fuel and that is the 8th most in the class. He has won 6 times when starting at the top of the field..This is the tenth TF start for Jenna Haddock. In 14 years the #16 qualifier in Top Fuel has never won a first-round match at this event. Brown is 1 - 0 against Haddock in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Haddock launched hard and gave Brown a run, she her career quickest and fastest in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pritchett                         91 Larry Dixon                  
E1                   0.033  4.185 266.90     ****WINNER****  0.091  3.770 328.30
 Qualified:            #15  3.916 312.57                        #2  3.733 328.30

Larry Dixon won this race in 2002..This is the 49th start in Top Fuel for Leah Pritchett. Pritchett and Dixon have each won 2 times against the other in prior events. Pritchett with the starting line advantage, but then is up in smoke just past half track and that was all Dixon needed to win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  474 Billy Torrence                        894 Noah Stutz                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.111  3.772 325.53                     0.094  3.947 265.69
 Qualified:             #3  3.733 327.19                       #14  3.847 300.66

This is the first pro start for Noah Stutz. He becomes the 551st driver to qualify for an NHRA Top Fuel show. This is the first time Torrence and Stutz have faced each other in eliminations. Stutz with the starting line advantage, but Torrence had the lead by the time they went by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win. He will give up lane choice to Millican in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Steve Torrence                          5 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.073  3.886 311.49     ****WINNER****  0.070  3.791 321.58
 Qualified:             #4  3.745 322.11                       #13  3.839 315.49

Doug Kalitta won here in 2004. Kalitta is 9 - 3 against Torrence in prior events. Kalitta with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Torrence dropped a cylinder right at the hit and never got it to pick back up. Kalitta with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. He will have lane choice over Crampton in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 J.R. Todd                               1 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.082  5.031 153.21     ****WINNER****  0.086  3.796 321.88
 Qualified:             #7  3.770 327.51                       #10  3.779 322.34

Tony Schumacher has won this race four times and he is the only active TF driver with more than one win at this event. Schumacher is 14 - 8 against Todd in prior events. Todd with a slight starting line advantage, but is up in smoke early and Schumacher with a real nice pass for the win. Schumacher keeps his championship hopes alive and he will give up lane choice to Dixon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Brittany Force                        335 Dave Connolly                
E1                   0.069  6.075 133.99     ****WINNER****  0.082  3.777 325.06
 Qualified:             #8  3.773 323.74                        #9  3.773 308.14

Force is 3 - 1 against Connolly in prior events. Force with the starting line advantage, but was up in smoke as soon as she hit the throttle and pedaled it, but couldn't get it to hook up and clicked it off. Connolly just a few ticks off his qualifying time for the win. Connolly will have lane choice over Brown in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink