Sun, 16 Oct 2016, 12:31 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, 31st annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Richie Crampton                         5 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.082  4.815 166.31     ****WINNER****  0.062  3.715 325.30
 Qualified:             #8  3.741 315.64                        #9  3.745 321.04

Doug Kalitta won here in 2002 & 2013. Richie Crampton is the defending event champion. In the 29 years of this race only two Top Fuel drivers have won in back-to-back years. Crampton and Kalitta have each won 5 times against the other in prior events. Kalitta with the starting line advantage and never trailed as Crampton lost traction early. Kalitta with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Brittany Force                         21 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.081  3.721 325.69                     0.087  3.919 307.16
 Qualified:             #5  3.727 322.50                       #12  3.835 309.84

Brittany Force enters the day with an overall record of 85 - 86 in her Top Fuel career. Force is 9 - 1 against McMillen in prior events. Force with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. force with her quickest pass of the weekend for the win. McMillen dropped a cylinder early and never got it to clean up.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Tony Schumacher                       448 Kebin Kinsley                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.077  3.720 327.11                     0.052  3.963 249.12
 Qualified:             #3  3.705 326.71                       #14  3.921 311.85

Tony Schumacher has won this race 6 times and that is the most for any Top Fuel driver. He won his first race here in 1999.. Schumacher is 1 - 0 against Kinsley in prior events. Kinsley with the starting line advantage, but Schumacher had the difference made up y the time they went by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win, Kinsley with a good pass until on the top end when it started mixing up cylinders.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Antron Brown                          323 Chris Karamesines            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.122  3.709 325.53                     0.222  4.705 162.25
 Qualified:             #1  3.682 330.55                       #16  4.213 232.31

Antron Brown's win in Reading was his 44th in Top Fuel and that is the 4th most in the dragster class and the 8th most overall in the two fuel classes. He won this race in 2012. This is Antron's 36th time as the #1 qualifier in Top Fuel. The #1 Top Fuel qualifier hasn't won here since 2001..This is the 235th Top fuel race for Chris Karamesines. Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win with the quickest pass of race day. He will have lane choice in the next round over Kalitta. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.822 sec., 330ft-2.102, 660ft-2.971/295.46 mph. Karamesines started mixing up cylinders and finally clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pritchett                       5050 Scott Palmer                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.059  3.955 232.55                     0.108  3.967 307.44
 Qualified:             #2  3.698 327.43                       #15  3.929 311.41

This is the first time Pritchett and Palmer have faced each other in eliminations. Pritchett with the starting line advantage and was trucking on down the track until just past half track when it banged and popped. She coast across the finish line for the win. Leah Pritchett's MOV: 0.0613 seconds (approximately 28 feet). Palmer was straight down the groove, but couldn't chase her down.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Shawn Langdon                          91 Larry Dixon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.057  3.725 327.98                     0.068  3.786 319.60
 Qualified:             #6  3.729 324.44                       #11  3.767 320.81

Dixon is 11 - 8 against Langdon in prior events. Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Langdon with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. He will give up lane choice to Schumacher by 0.005 seconds in the next round. Dixon with a good clean pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  497 Troy Buff                             373 J.R. Todd                    
E1                   0.086  3.849 313.58     ****WINNER****  0.077  3.723 324.36
 Qualified:            #13  3.911 302.48                        #4  3.723 309.27

J.R. Todd won this race in 2008. Todd is 4 - 2 against Buff in prior events. Todd with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He matches his qualifying time for the win. He will give up lane choice to Force by 0.002 seconds in the next round. Buff with real nice pass, his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Steve Torrence                         25 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.073  3.713 327.43                     0.077  6.269 100.24
 Qualified:             #7  3.737 327.43                       #10  3.746 321.04

Millican is 7 - 3 against Torrence in prior events. Torrence with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Torrence with his quickest pass of the weekend, he will have lane choice over Pritchett in the next round. Millican was up in smoke around 330 feet and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink