Sun, 10 Mar 2024, 11:01 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 55th annual NHRA Gatornationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Tony Stewart                            4 Justin Ashley                
E1                   0.021  4.453 267.80     ****WINNER****  0.031  4.414 297.94
 Qualified:             #9  3.725 310.34                        #8  3.719 325.37

Weather conditions: air temperature 60 degrees, relative humidity 74 percent, barometer 30.01 inches, adjusted altitude 553 feet, track temperature 82 degrees.

Justin Ashley "leaves fist" 75% of the time in Rd. 1. The #8 TF qualifier has won this race twice in the last 3 years. The last time the #9 TF qualifier won this race was 1988 (E. Hill).

Stewart with the starting line advantage. They both shake the tires at the hit, Ashley gets it too hook up better for the win. Justin Ashley's MOV: 0.0296 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   51 Clay Millican                           1 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.060  7.442  89.73     ****WINNER****  0.036  3.658 337.75
 Qualified:            #10  3.726 332.67                        #7  3.714 330.80

Doug Kalitta is 17 - 10 against Millican in Rd. 1. Clay Millican was 8 - 13 in Rd. 1 last year.

Kalitta with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Kalitta launched hard and kept it hooked up to make the quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win.Doug Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.829 sec., 330ft-2.092, 660ft-2.943/298.27 mph.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Josh Hart                               9 Tony Schumacher              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.049  3.750 329.26                     0.091  4.024 323.81
 Qualified:            #12  3.744 322.65                        #5  3.712 326.79

Hart and Schumacher have each won 2 times against the other in prior events.

Tony Schumacher was 6 - 15 in Rd. 1 last year. Josh Hart lost to Schumacher (on a holeshot) in Rd. 1 here last year.

Hart with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Hart just off his qualifying time for the win. Schumacher shakes and pedaled it, but can't chase him down.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  144 Tripp Tatum                             6 Antron Brown                 
E1                  -0.032  3.701 328.62     ****WINNER****  0.057  3.730 333.00
 Qualified:            #13  3.757 292.39                        #4  3.709 332.43

Brown is 2 - 0 against Tatum in prior events.

Antron Brown is 267 - 88 (75%) in Rd. 1 in his TF career. Tripp Tatum is 0 - 2 against Brown.

Tatum goes red and throws away a great looking pass, his quickest pass of the weekend to give Brown the win. Brown is straight down the groove with a good clean pass for the win. Brown will have lane choice over Hart in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 211X Cody Krohn                            333 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.088  4.391 203.86     ****WINNER****  0.070  3.690 335.90
 Qualified:            #16  3.850 317.64                        #1  3.682 334.15

This is the first time Krohn and Langdon have faced each other in eliminations.

At this event the #1 TF qualifier is 45 - 9 in Rd. 1. Cody Krohn was runner-up here in TAD last year.

Langdon with the starting line advantage and was on a great pass until right in the lights when the engine let go. Engine explosion sending parts everywhere. The good word is no oil on the track. Langdon with the second quickest pass of the round for win and lane choice over Ashley in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  716 Shawn Reed                              2 Steve Torrence               
E1                   0.112  6.306 109.66     ****WINNER****  0.071  3.673 335.90
 Qualified:            #15  3.766 314.61                        #2  3.690 333.08

Steve Torrence wins 79% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. Shawn Reed is 1 - 4 against Torrence in Rd. 1.

Torrence is 7 - 2 against Reed in prior events.

Torrence with the starting line advantage and runs the second quickest pass of th session for the win. He will give uplane choice to Kalitta in the next round.

Reed is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1301 Doug Foley                           7211 Mike Salinas                 
E1                  -0.082  7.496  94.12     ****WINNER****  0.071  3.930 250.51
 Qualified:            #14  3.764 318.84                        #3  3.705 331.53

Mike Salinas was 14 - 7 in Rd. 1 last year. Doug Foley lost to Salinas in Rd. 1 at Dallas last year (their only meeting).

Foley goes red to give Salinas the win. Salinas was on a good looking pass until on the top end when the engine popped for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Brittany Force                        474 Billy Torrence               
E1                   0.089  6.116 100.86     ****WINNER****  0.098  3.669 336.74
 Qualified:            #11  3.730 328.70                        #6  3.713 334.15

Billy Torrence is 59 - 23 in Rd. 1 (72%). Brittany Force is 6 - 4 against Billy Torrence

Force is 6 - 4 against Torrence in prior events.

Force with the starting line advantage, but starts to smoke the tires and clicks it off.

Torrence launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight for the win. torrence with the second quickest pass of the session and will have lane choice over salinas in th next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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