Sat, 13 Nov 1999, 06:01 PM BIG BUD SHOOTOUT - Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan Can Kalitta Repeat?

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 1999 Big Bud Top Fuel Shootout:

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Joe Amato           2.000  30.40  Q    3 Doug Kalitta        3.000  29.70
   (M Dunn      ) 0.483  4.654 314.97  E1   (C McClenatha) 0.483  4.645 299.33
                  0.514 10.563  90.65  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.480  5.018 226.62

2:43 PM Amato lost traction in the first 50 feet. Kalitta was unopposed, but lost traction at the transition from concrete to asphalt. The RPMs went up and the engine let go in a big fireball, but Kalitta never lifted and the remaining parts worked well enough for him to struggle to the finish line. He gets to the finals for the second year in a row, but he'll need a fresh bullet when he gets there.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Gary Scelzi         1.000  31.85  Q    5 Tony Schumacher     5.000  28.90
   (K Bernstein ) 0.470  4.701 292.46  E1   (L Dixon     ) 0.512  4.636 314.90
 *****WINNER***** 0.507  4.626 317.19  E2                  0.502  4.670 313.95

This one was a lot closer, Schumacher with a very small advantage off the line and Amato making it up by the 60-foot timer, then slowly drawing out the margin for a margin of victory = 0.039 seconds (approximately 18 feet). Scelzi will have lane choice against Kalitta in the final round.