Sun, 3 Oct 2004, 02:31 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 2 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
    8 John Smith                              9 Doug Herbert
E2                   0.089  6.122 162.43     ****WINNER****  0.098  4.597 313.07
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.071  4.573 322.42      (B Kalivoda  ) 0.087  4.567 325.30
 Qualified:            #13  4.634 306.74                        #5  4.540 322.88

1:05 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 39 percent, barometer 29.45 inches, adjusted altitude 1,407 feet, track temperature 77 degrees.

Smith gets about 200 feet out and goes up in smoke. Herbert goes through the lights and blows the engine.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 Bob Vandergriff                       743 Morgan Lucas
E2   ****WINNER****  0.079  5.573 299.93                     0.080 13.573  62.84
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Baca      ) 0.086  4.587 316.60      (C McClenatha) 0.056  4.564 323.43
 Qualified:             #9  4.615 309.63                       #16  4.716 310.41

Both drivers go up in smoke right off the line, Vandergriff got back on the throttle, Lucas didn't. Herbert will have lane choice over Vandergriff in round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Brandon Bernstein                     319 Scott Kalitta
E2   ****WINNER****  0.102  4.525 332.43                     0.091  7.943 103.79
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Zizzo     ) 0.137  4.526 331.94      (B Litton    ) 0.086  4.524 332.18
 Qualified:             #6  4.541 333.41                        #3  4.517 332.34

Kalitta gets about 100 feet out, strikes the tires, then clicks it off. Bernstein goes right down the groove on a flawless run for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Rhonda Hartman-Smith                    3 Tony Schumacher
E2                   0.113  5.254 236.51     ****WINNER****  0.094  4.833 322.88
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Kalitta   ) 0.081  4.659 311.41      (D Grubnic   ) 0.074  4.477 331.04
 Qualified:            #15  4.698 321.96                        #7  4.542 329.02

Schumacher dodges a bullet on this one, he shakes the tires about 300 feet out, has to pedal a couple of times, then goes on through for the win. Hartman-Smith made her worst pass of the weekend, the dragster seemed to start losing power after half-track.

Bernstein will have lane choice over Schumacher in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink