Sun, 12 Nov 2023, 16:47 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 58th annual In-N-Out NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Justin Ashley                           1 Brittany Force               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.064  3.715 333.74                     0.063  5.425 128.54
 Qualified:             #8  3.682 334.73                        #9  3.682 328.14

Torrence is 3 - 1 against Langdon in prior events.

Another smoker. Torrence gets the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  474 Billy Torrence                          9 Shawn Langdon                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.052  3.719 332.43                     0.056  4.624 171.97
 Qualified:             #7  3.682 336.74                       #10  3.693 330.07

Torrence with a slight starting line advantage and the win as Langdon lost traction.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Austin Prock                         7727 Ron August                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.039  3.898 245.76                     0.071  9.804  75.14
 Qualified:             #1  3.636 332.92                       #16  3.858 312.64

This is the first time Prock and August have faced each other in eliminations.

Prock with a great light and never trailed as August is up in smoke.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Leah Pruett                           356 Tony Schumacher              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.056  3.708 331.53                     0.075  4.107 218.94
 Qualified:             #6  3.674 336.40                       #11  3.703 331.20

Schumacher is 12 - 10 against Pruett in prior events.

Repeat!

Pruett gets the easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Antron Brown                           51 Clay Millican                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.052  3.697 333.74                     0.044  3.735 326.32
 Qualified:             #3  3.663 335.82                       #14  3.758 306.19

Brown is 30 - 6 against Millican in prior events.

Millican gets away first, but Brown drives on by for the win. He faces Pruitt next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Steve Torrence                        391 Spencer Hyde                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  3.723 333.74                     0.085 89.660  80.45
 Qualified:             #2  3.641 335.65                       #15  3.778 323.27

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

Easy win for Torrence.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7211 Mike Salinas                            7 Josh Hart                    
E1                   0.069  7.819  83.79     ****WINNER****  0.047  3.848 328.54
 Qualified:             #4  3.663 332.26                       #13  3.742 329.50

Hart is 4 - 3 against Salinas in prior events.

Hart gets away first and powers on down the track for an easy win, as Salinas is smoking the tires before the 330 lights.

That removes him as a Championship contender.

Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.880 sec., 330ft-2.949, 660ft-5.209/094.40 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Doug Kalitta                          182 Dan Mercier                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.068  3.706 333.91                     0.058  4.933 154.90
 Qualified:             #5  3.666 333.25                       #12  3.716 328.14

Mercier gets a small starting line advantage, but Katella drive on by right after the 60 foot light.

Mercier joins the smokers in the right lane and is in and out of the throttle before giving up.

Hart will be in the other lane next round.

11:26 a.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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