Sun, 23 Apr 2017, 12:33 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations |
By Rick Green |
BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual NHRA SpringNationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
8 Tony Schumacher 497 Troy Buff
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.088 3.758 322.11 0.071 No Time
Qualified: #8 3.783 316.67 #9 3.810 289.01
Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 30.03
inches, adjusted altitude 968 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.Tony Schumacher has two wins at this event...Troy Buff is looking for his first win against Tony in 11 tries. Troy was runner-up here in the Top Alcohol Dragster in 2000.
Buff with the starting line advantage, but it appears like it might have broke a throttle cable as all pipes go wet and the car doesn't move.
Schumacher launched hard and was straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the
weekend to move into round two. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec.,
330ft-2.146, 660ft-3.016/290.82 mph.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 25 Clay Millican 700 Steven Chrisman E1 ****WINNER**** 0.079 3.729 326.79 0.218 9.654 83.58 Qualified: #1 3.722 325.69 #16 5.767 119.17This is the 6th time that Clay Millican has qualified #1 and it is the 3rd time he has done it in the last 12 races.
This is the first time Millican and Chrisman have faced each other in eliminations.
Millican with the starting line advantage and blast straight down the groove with a great pass. He is just off his qualifying time and runs his fastest speed of the weekend. He will have lane choice over Schumacher in round two. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.112, 660ft-2.988/289.14 mph.
Chrisman is up in smoke as soon as he hits the
throttle and clicks it off.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
6 Brittany Force 301 Troy Coughlin Jr.
E1 0.093 3.871 274.55 ****WINNER**** 0.071 3.852 277.20
Qualified: #5 3.745 327.27 #12 3.862 316.82
Brittany Force begins the day with a record of 93 - 93. This is her 101st race in Top
Fuel.This is the first time Force and Coughlin Jr. have faced each other in eliminations.
Coughlin Jr. with the starting line advantage, but then is drifting toward the centerline on the top end and slows. He still gets the win light with his quickest pass of the weekend. Troy Coughlin Jr.'s MOV: 0.0418 seconds (approximately 17 feet). Troy Coughlin Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.057/284.33 mph.
Force was right there with him at
the 1/8 mile and that was when she dropped a cylinder or two and then banged it. Safety Safari is
rolling the word is there is oil. Brittany Force was charged with an oildown, #2 for the season.
That will cost 10 points and $2K.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 Doug Kalitta 21 Terry McMillen
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.093 3.761 325.06 0.071 3.833 315.86
Qualified: #3 3.731 327.03 #14 3.891 316.97
Doug Kalitta has won this race three times including the last two years. He is the only TF
driver to ever win here in consecutive years.Kalitta is 10 - 0 against McMillen in prior events.
McMillen with the slight starting line advantage, but Kalitta has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trails from there for the win. Doug Kalitta's MOV: 0.0504 seconds (approximately 23 feet).
McMillen makes his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing
effort.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Antron Brown 121 Terry Haddock
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.078 3.752 321.04 0.140 3.931 283.79
Qualified: #2 3.723 322.50 #15 3.980 301.74
Antron Brown won here in 2008 & 2014 and he was runner-up here twice. His 4 round wins in Las
Vegas gave Antron 633 round wins for his career and that moved him past Ron Capps and into 7th
place on the all-time professional list. Brown is 4 - 0 against Haddock in prior events.
Brown is out of the gate first and never trails for the win.
Haddock pitches the blower belt
on the top end, but he still runs his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Steve Torrence 614 Shawn Reed
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.089 3.748 324.20 0.084 3.867 315.86
Qualified: #4 3.743 321.19 #13 3.869 320.43
Steve Torrence was runner-up here last year.Torrence and Reed have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.
Reed with a few ticks advantage on the starting line, but Torrence has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree. Torrence is just a few ticks off his qualifying time for the win. He will have lane choice over Coughlin Jr. in the next round.
Reed gave Torrence a race 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 777 Leah Pritchett 5050 Scott Palmer E1 ****WINNER**** 0.102 3.748 324.59 0.109 4.766 152.52 Qualified: #6 3.747 326.87 #11 3.832 316.52Pritchett is 2 - 0 against Palmer in prior events.
Pritchett with the starting line
advantage and never trailed for the win as Palmer dropped a cylinder or two. Pritchett is just a
tick off her qualifying time for the win. She will have lane choice over Kalitta in the next
round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 12 Bob Vandergriff 5 Shawn Langdon E1 ****WINNER**** 0.085 3.770 323.43 0.044 3.813 318.84 Qualified: #7 3.781 320.43 #10 3.825 314.53Bob Vandergriff won here in 2013 and he was runner-up here in 1997. This is his first race driving since the end of the 2014 season. When Bob won here in 2013 he beat Shawn Langdon in the final round...This is Shawn's first race in TF this year.
Langdon is 16 - 2 against Vandergriff in prior events.
Langdon with a great light and the lead until right in the lights when Vandergriff chases him down for the win.
This was a great race...Bob Vandergriff's MOV: 0.0021 seconds (approximately 12 inches).
Vandergriff with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will give up lane choice to Brown in the next round.
Langdon with his quickest pass of the weekend in
the losing effort.
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