Sun, Oct 18, 02:30 AM TOPEKA - Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 10th annual Parts America Nationals:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   6 Kenny Bernstein     4.655 321.08  Q   3 Larry Dixon         4.620 318.92
   (J Amato     ) 0.463  5.458 306.01 E1   (S Anderson  ) 0.476  5.635 237.02
 *****WINNER***** 0.460  5.624 294.40 E2                  0.469  5.840 248.07

8:48 PM Round two and we start with the battle of the beers. Here we go with the first of the pedaling contest. They both lose traction, pedal it, then they repeat the routine again. This time Dixon smokes the tires immediately, where Bernstein just started to lose traction, and was able to recover quicker for the win.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Connie Kalitta      4.631 308.85  Q  12 Jim Head            4.800 292.58
   (D Grubnic   ) 0.522  5.000 308.21 E1   (B Vandergrif) 0.471  5.602 298.50
                  0.468 14.007  77.72 E2 *****WINNER***** 0.475  5.349 250.97

Kalitta smokes the tires immediately, and clicks it off. Head detunes it and does not overpower the track, and does not lose traction once. Apparently he lost an engine as the Safety Safari rolls for the clean up.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   7 Mike Dunn           4.671 314.13  Q   2 Doug Kalitta        4.561 315.78
   (B Sarver    ) 0.473  4.673 313.69 E1   (P Dakin     ) 0.497  4.712 300.00
                  0.478  4.651 315.90 E2 *****WINNER***** 0.456  4.633 308.21

That was about a 15 minute clean-up. Kalitta takes the win light in the lane they just cleaned-up. This was a drag race, neither car losing traction.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Gary Scelzi         4.561 321.77  Q   8 Cory McClenathan    4.672 317.68
   (E Hill      ) 0.520  4.649 322.69 E1   (T Schumacher) 0.467  4.759 313.91
                  0.501  4.743 314.79 E2 *****WINNER***** 0.488  4.749 315.78

This will go along way towards the NHRA championship, and is a rematch of last weeks second round match-up. Scelzi won last week.

Cory gets the revenge here as he leaves first and his able to hold off a hard charging Scelzi. Both cars pedaled it at about the 330-foot mark.

McClenathan with his lane choice over Head, and D. Kalitta with his choice against Bernstein.