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Mon, 14 Oct 2019, 10:46 AM

Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Clay Millican                          21 Terry McMillen               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.061  3.759 328.38                     0.067  3.768 310.34
 Qualified:             #8  3.764 322.11                        #9  3.767 326.24

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 55 percent, barometer 29.39 inches, adjusted altitude 2,393 feet, track temperature 77 degrees.
Millican is 12 - 7 against McMillen in prior events.
Millican with the starting line advantage, but McMillen had the lead by the time they went by the Christmas tree. Millican chased him back down right in the lights for the win. Clay Millican's MOV: 0.0155 seconds (approximately 7 feet). Millican with his quickest pass for the win.

McMillen was just a tick off his qualifying time in the losing effort.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Antron Brown                            8 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.051  6.032 114.16     ****WINNER****  0.058  3.905 326.95
 Qualified:             #7  3.758 328.94                       #10  3.773 323.35

Brown is 34 - 22 against Kalitta in prior events.
Brown with the slight starting line advantage, but was up in smoke early.

Kalitta started to haze the tires pedaled it and got it to hook up and take the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  474 Billy Torrence                        303 Pat Dakin                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.243  3.780 327.03                     0.066 14.784  34.62
 Qualified:             #6  3.755 325.92                       #11  3.798 320.28

Torrence and Dakin have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.

Dakin was up in smoke right at the hit and then banged the blower. torrence is straight down the groove for the win.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7211 Mike Salinas                         1211 Justin Ashley                
E1                   0.055  4.591 174.53     ****WINNER****  0.041  3.778 298.40
 Qualified:             #5  3.752 328.70                       #12  3.831 319.67

Ashley making his first NHRA debut this weekend.
Ashley with a great light and never trailed for the his first Top Fuel win. He slowed on the top end, but held on for the win.

Salinas also with a great light, but started hazing the tires just past half track.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pritchett                        323 Chris Karamesines            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.081  5.466 123.42                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #2  3.714 331.20                       #15  4.468 184.19

Pritchett is 1 - 0 against Karamesines in prior events.
Karamesines does the burnout, the car has problems with the reverser and can't get the car to move forward and is shut off.

Pritchett drives into tire smoke right at the hit and clicks it off. She will give up lane choice to Kalitta in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Steve Torrence                        845 Lex Joon                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.072  3.741 327.82                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #1  3.711 325.53                       #16  4.476 168.75

Joon is a no-show.

Torrence launched hard and kept it hooked up with low E.T. of race day.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Brittany Force                        354 Smax Smith                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.110  3.698 329.42                     0.077  6.139 102.00
 Qualified:             #3  3.730 321.04                       #14  3.938 281.01

This is the first time Force and Smith have faced each other in eliminations.
Smith with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke.

Force launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight. Right in the lights it banged the blower, but still runs low E.T. of race day. She will have lane choice over Billy Torrence in the next round.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   58 Richie Crampton                       374 Austin Prock                 
E1                   0.072  3.735 327.11     ****WINNER****  0.056  3.725 329.02
 Qualified:             #4  3.732 329.50                       #13  3.850 316.15

Crampton and Prock have each won 2 times against the other in prior events.
After watching Force's pass there was a lane swap, with Crampton having lane choice.
Prock with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Prock with the second quickest pass of race day. Austin Prock's MOV: 0.0268 seconds (approximately 13 feet). He will have lane choice over Ashley in the next round.

Crampton with a great pass, third quickest of race day in the losing effort.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink