Sun, 13 Oct 2024, 13:43 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Tony Schumacher                        39 Ida Zetterstrom              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.081  3.801 322.37                     0.095  4.082 222.85
 Qualified:             #9  3.762 324.93                        #8  3.757 323.42

Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 30.02 inches, adjusted altitude 2,685 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

All 5 of Ida Zetterstrom's losses have been to TF World Champions. Tony Schumacher's 6 race wins and 36 round wins here are the most for any TF driver.

This is the first time Schumacher and Zetterstrom have faced each other in eliminations.

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

Zetterstrom started to haze the tires around half track and shut it off early.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Antron Brown                            4 Justin Ashley                
E1                   0.061  3.776 324.96     ****WINNER****  0.041  3.775 329.21
 Qualified:             #5  3.737 326.75                       #12  3.778 326.02

Antron Brown has won the race 6 times when qualified #5. Justin Ashley is 0 -2 against Brown this year. In their 17 meetings Ashley has "left first" 13 times.

Brown is 10 - 7 against Ashley in prior events.

Ashley with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win in a good drag race. Justin Ashley's MOV: 0.0210 seconds (approximately 10 feet).

Ashley with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Brittany Force                        391 Spencer Hyde                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.035  3.766 334.55                    -0.212  5.937 106.72
 Qualified:             #1  3.667 338.19                       #16  3.833 318.49

The last time the #1 TF qualifier lost in Rd. 1 at this event was 2007. Spence Hyde is making his 2nd start.

Hyde goes red to give Force the win.

Force is straight down the groove for the win. She will have lane choice over Schumacher in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  716 Shawn Reed                             14 Tony Stewart                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.051  3.753 318.97                     0.073  3.817 329.96
 Qualified:             #2  3.676 330.71                       #15  3.816 327.25

Shawn Reed has qualified #2 at 2 of the last 3 races. He had never been higher than #4 in his previous 55 races. Tony Stewart lost to Reed in Rd. 1 in St. Louis.

Reed with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He runs low E.T. of race day for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  333 Shawn Langdon                         616 Jasmine Salinas              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.126  3.724 332.20                     0.190  3.745 326.49
 Qualified:             #4  3.727 328.61                       #13  3.780 330.30

Shawn Langdon wins 70.8% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. 8 of Jasmine Salinas's 15 round losses have been to TF World Champions.

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

Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He runs low E.T. of race day. He will have lane choice over Ashley in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Steve Torrence                        725 Krista Baldwin               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.108  3.756 333.21                     0.125  6.121 103.31
 Qualified:             #3  3.721 332.03                       #14  3.788 322.35

Steve Torrence is 233 - 91 (71.9%) in Rd. 1 in his career. Krista Baldwin is making her 15th start.

Torrence is 1 - 0 against Baldwin in prior events.

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

Baldwin was up in smoke and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  474 Billy Torrence                         77 Josh Hart                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.083  3.773 329.48                     0.061  6.093 105.75
 Qualified:             #6  3.743 318.13                       #11  3.776 327.99

This is just the 9th time this year Billy Torrence has been in the top half of the field. Josh Hart has lost to Torrence twice this year in Rd. 1.

Torrence is 3 - 0 against Hart in prior events.

Hart with the starting line advantage, but was u in smoke early and clicked it off.

Torrence is straight down the groove for the win. He will give up lane choice to Steve Torrence in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   51 Clay Millican                           1 Doug Kalitta                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  3.740 333.16                     0.074  4.954 161.63
 Qualified:             #7  3.752 323.74                       #10  3.775 328.30

Clay Millican wins 68% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. Doug Kalitta is 18 - 10 against Millican in Rd. 1 races.

Millican with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He had flash of flames as he crossed the finish line. He will have lane choice over Reed in the next round.

Kalitta was up in smoke early and clicked it off.

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