Sun, 31 Oct 1999, 02:47 PM HOUSTON - Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan Now There Is Just One

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 3rd annual Matco Tools SuperNationals presented by Racing Champions:

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  10 Doug Kalitta        4.621 301.67  Q    2 Bob Vandergriff     4.563 316.01
   (C McClenatha) 0.529  4.583 306.05  E1   (D Foxworth  ) 0.524  6.328 248.29
                  0.543  4.567 310.20  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.509  4.594 315.86

1:28 PM Vandergriff stole this one at the Christmas tree, his holeshot just big enough to give him a margin of victory = 0.007 seconds (approximately 3 feet) with both cars running right down the groove. That officially eliminates Kalitta from the title chase

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   8 Tony Schumacher     4.605 323.27  Q   16 Doug Herbert        4.698 308.71
   (R Parks     ) 0.510  4.569 323.04  E1   (M Dunn      ) 0.460  4.612 310.98
 *****WINNER***** 0.485  4.585 325.30  E2                  0.419 11.682  88.41

Herbert deep-staged and got the reaction time advantage, but then he lost traction and that was all she wrote. This win by Schumacher mathematically eliminates Herbert and Kenny Bernstein from the title chase and leaves only Joe Amato with a mathematical chance to catch Schumacher, who is now just one round win away from clinching the title.-

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  11 Kenny Bernstein     4.636 307.65  Q    3 Larry Dixon         4.572 312.50
   (J Amato     ) 0.507  4.567 317.12  E1   (M Smith     ) 0.527  4.593 312.93
                        No Time        E2 *****WINNER***** 0.522  4.577 312.21

Bernstein was unable to get his car into reverse at the end of the burnout and he had to drive it off the other end to clear the track for Dixon to make a single run. It was a great run until the car hazed the tires in the middle of the run, then it was just a good one. That gives Dixon lane choice against Vandergriff in the semifinals.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Gary Scelzi         4.592 320.58  Q   12 Tim Gibson          4.648 312.42
   (J Head      ) 0.522  4.514 319.37  E1   (E Hill      ) 0.513  6.397 129.05
 *****WINNER***** 0.567  4.554 320.51  E2                  0.459  6.118 160.40

Gibson lost traction and pedaled several times while "Big Red" sailed down the groove with no visible problems, good enough to earn lane choice against Schumacher in the semifinals.