Sun, 3 Oct 2004, 04:15 PM Top Fuel Round 3 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 Bob Vandergriff                         9 Doug Herbert
E3                   0.068  4.800 293.35     ****WINNER****  0.104  4.627 290.19
 Prior rounds:
E2    (M Lucas     ) 0.079  5.573 299.93      (J Smith     ) 0.098  4.597 313.07
E1    (D Baca      ) 0.086  4.587 316.60      (B Kalivoda  ) 0.087  4.567 325.30
 Qualified:             #9  4.615 309.63                        #5  4.540 322.88

2:59 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 29.33 inches, adjusted altitude 1,557 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

Vandergriff gets the hole-shot and held on for the first 200 feet or so, then Herbert reeled him in and drove around. Herbert got to the 1000 foot mark, then pitches the blower belt.

Doug Herbert's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.017), 330 ft(0.027), 660ft(0.061), 1,000ft(0.107). MOV: 0.1377 seconds (approximately 59 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Brandon Bernstein                       3 Tony Schumacher
E3                   0.097  4.506 331.20     ****WINNER****  0.085  4.509 327.03
 Prior rounds:
E2    (S Kalitta   ) 0.102  4.525 332.43      (R Hartman-Sm) 0.094  4.833 322.88
E1    (T Zizzo     ) 0.137  4.526 331.94      (D Grubnic   ) 0.074  4.477 331.04
 Qualified:             #6  4.541 333.41                        #7  4.542 329.02

Another great side-by-side, Schumacher gets off the line first, then starts pulling away. Bernstein starts making up ground when they pass the 330' mark but runs out of racetrack. Schumacher will have lane choice over Herbert in the finals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink