Sun, 30 Oct 2016, 14:39 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, 16th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  373 J.R. Todd                               6 Shawn Langdon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  3.752 324.12                     0.050 10.405  82.67
 Qualified:             #9  3.751 321.81                        #8  3.741 326.79

Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 46 percent, barometer 27.79 inches, adjusted altitude 4,272 feet.

Langdon is 7 - 6 against Todd in prior events. Langdon with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and that will end his Championship hopes. Todd with a real nice pass, straight down the groove for the win and just off his qualifying time.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  875 Wayne Newby                             2 Tony Schumacher              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.089  3.836 313.88                     0.065  9.603  74.72
 Qualified:            #12  3.817 323.12                        #5  3.727 319.98

This is the first time Newby and Schumacher have faced each other in eliminations. Schumacher with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke as soon he hits the throttle and pedals it a couple times. Schumacher can't get it to hook up and Newby gets the win. Newby with a good looking pass until around 660 feet when he started to drop cylinders, but holds on for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Clay Millican                         121 Terry Haddock                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.085  3.751 319.45                     0.116  4.086 287.66
 Qualified:             #1  3.689 327.27                       #16  4.009 276.41

Millican is 1 - 0 against Haddock in prior events. Millican swaps lane after watching Langdon and Schumacher go up in smoke. Millican with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Millican will have lane choice over Todd by 0.001 second in the next round. Haddock was able to get down that right lane with no problems.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pritchett                        614 Shawn Reed                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.042  3.742 320.20                     0.091  3.931 310.41
 Qualified:             #2  3.700 328.70                       #15  3.952 311.85

Pritchett is 1 - 0 against Reed in prior events. Pritchett with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Pritchett with the quickest pass of the day, so far. Reed with his career quickest pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Doug Kalitta                         5050 Scott Palmer                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.054  3.976 251.77                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #3  3.709 324.20                       #14  3.951 302.28

Kalitta is 7 - 1 against Palmer in prior events. Palmer's car with problems on the burnout and then losing fire and Kalitta gets the freebie. Kalitta started mixing up cylinders around half track, but gets the win. Kalitta keeps his Championship hopes alive. The word from the starting line is Palmer's blower belt rubbed a hole in the fuel line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Antron Brown                           21 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.055  3.765 323.89                     0.078  6.274 108.62
 Qualified:             #4  3.723 324.59                       #13  3.923 308.21

Brown is 14 - 3 against McMillen in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed as McMillen started to smoke the tires around 200 feet and clicked it off. Brown was straight down the groove with a good looking pass for the win. He will have lane choice over Newby in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Steve Torrence                          3 Richie Crampton              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  3.730 327.74                     0.064  3.766 317.19
 Qualified:             #6  3.728 323.89                       #11  3.772 312.64

Torrence and Crampton have each won 6 times against the other in prior events. Crampton with a slight 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. Steve Torrence's MOV: 0.0337 seconds (approximately 16 feet). Torrence with the quickest pass of the day and will have lane choice over Kalitta in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Brittany Force                        144 Tripp Tatum                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.050  3.772 321.58                     0.058  4.005 238.85
 Qualified:             #7  3.728 323.89                       #10  3.771 321.27

Force is 1 - 0 against Tatum in prior events. Force with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Tatum was right there with her until around half track when it started mixing up cylinders and then the engine let go with a huge fireball. Force will give up lane choice to Pritchett in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink