Sun, 27 Sep 2020, 10:37 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pruett                           171 Joe Morrison                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.056  4.152 300.13                     0.063  4.583 248.66
 Qualified:             #8  3.922 315.64                        #9  4.077 294.63

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 85 percent, barometer 29.73 inches, adjusted altitude 2,714 feet, track temperature 85 degrees.

This is the first time Pruett and Morrison have faced each other in eliminations.

Pruett with a slight starting line advantage, but started to lose traction around 330 feet. She pedaled it and dropped a cylinder or two, but got it to hook up. She takes the win.

Morrison started to lose traction, he pedaled it, apparently he used up an engine. The word from the top end is there is oil. Joe Morrison was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  211 Arthur Allen                         1301 Doug Foley                   
E1                   0.137  4.086 237.30     ****WINNER****  0.085  3.897 322.27
 Qualified:            #12  4.952 153.30                        #5  3.868 321.19

Allen qualifies for his first Top Fuel in his first event.

Foley with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He is straight down the groove.

Allen was on a good pass, his chute came out early.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
        Bye                                  25 Clay Millican                
E1                                            ****WINNER****  0.096  7.266  79.85
 Qualified:                                                       #1  3.821 313.51

Millican qualified number one for the 25th time in his career, he has won one time from the top spot. He has a cylinder out right at the hit and he clicks it off. He will give up lane choice to Pruett in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  748 Cameron Ferre                         123 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.085  8.300  74.27     ****WINNER****  0.120  3.821 325.06
 Qualified:            #14  6.734 100.92                        #3  3.831 320.36

Brown is 2 - 0 against Ferre in prior events.

Ferre with the starting line advantage, but was mixing up cylinders right at the hit and clicked it off.

Brown launched hard and kept it hooked up and was straight down the groove for the win. He ties low E.T. of the event and runs top speed of the event for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  304 Todd Paton                              5 Billy Torrence               
E1                   0.131  4.486 186.59     ****WINNER****  0.069  3.851 319.98
 Qualified:            #15  7.033  87.95                        #2  3.828 320.28

This is the first time Paton and Torrence have faced each other in eliminations.

Torrence with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.

Patton clicked it off early.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  356 Tony Schumacher                         1 Steve Torrence               
E1                   0.074  4.868 158.04     ****WINNER****  0.068  3.787 319.45
 Qualified:            #13  5.391 127.68                        #4  3.867 318.54

Schumacher is 18 - 17 against Torrence in prior events.

Schumacher only got one qualifying attempt yesterday as there was problems on the second qualifying pass.

Torrence with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Torrence runs low E.t. of the event for the win. He will have lane choice over Foley in the next round.

Schumacher was up in smoke by 330 feet and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   21 Terry McMillen                          2 Doug Kalitta                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  3.747 321.27                     0.057  3.877 310.91
 Qualified:            #11  4.724 162.96                        #6  3.869 300.13

Kalitta is 19 - 4 against McMillen in prior events.

Kalitta with the starting line advantage, but then drops a cylinder. Kalitta stays with it and never picks it back up.

McMillen launched hard and kept it hooked up, he runs low E.T. of the event for the win. He will have lane choice over Brown in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1211 Justin Ashley                         333 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.039  3.957 256.89     ****WINNER****  0.053  3.849 301.54
 Qualified:            #10  4.118 203.06                        #7  3.880 315.93

Ashley and Langdon have each won 2 times against the other in prior events.

Ashley with the starting line advantage, but Langdon has the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree. He never trailed from there on for the win. He lost the blower belt, but held on for the win. He will have lane choice over Billy torrence by 0.0002 seconds.

Ashley dropped a cylinder right off the starting line and then started mixing up the cylinders before the car pitched the blower belt.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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