Sun, 14 Nov 1999, 05:35 PM POMONA - Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 35th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   3 Mike Dunn           4.580 311.70  Q   11 Jim Head            4.693 305.63
   (L Dixon     ) 0.476  4.651 299.53  E1   (C McClenatha) 0.485  4.691 303.98
 *****WINNER***** 0.484  4.640 303.09  E2                  0.504  4.712 302.82

2:15 PM This was a good drag race, Dunn with a small holeshot and then holding Head off for the win with both cars trailing tire smoke on the top end to win by a margin of victory = 0.092 seconds (approximately 41 feet).

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Tony Schumacher     4.574 327.03  Q    7 Kenny Bernstein     4.610 320.05
   (A Cowin     ) 0.518  4.707 304.53  E1   (B Vandergrif) 0.451  4.640 318.47
 *****WINNER***** 0.483  4.622 314.68  E2                  0.463  5.856 152.64

The "King of Speed" versus the "Heir Apparent." This one was over at the drop of the green, Bernstein Immediately dropping a cylinder or two on each side of the engine while Schumacher had all eight lit all the way down the track. Bernstein shut it down just past half track, his season over. That gives Schumacher lane choice against Dunn in the semifinals.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Gary Scelzi         4.570 322.11  Q    8 Don Lampus          4.632 312.06
   (R Parks     ) 0.477  4.624 313.51  E1   (S Kalitta   ) 0.485  4.756 292.46
 *****WINNER***** 0.481  4.627 317.79  E2                  0.488  5.842 148.71

Lampus left with Scelzi and carried the front end about three feet in the air almost to half track before lifting and banging it down when it started to go even higher, into a potential blowover. Scelzi won handily, tying Schumacher for low ET of the round and running a higher speed. Yesterday Scelzi said theyw ere running their 2000-season tuneup, so it looks like "Big Red" will be in the hunt again next year.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Doug Kalitta        4.586 307.16  Q    5 Joe Amato           4.587 322.58
   (T Mullins   ) 0.517  4.574 308.00  E1   (T Gibson    ) 0.516  5.549 241.41
 *****WINNER***** 0.499  4.561 303.64  E2                  0.489  4.581 319.75

What a drag race - Amato runs second-low ET and top speed of the round - and loses, by a margin of victory = 0.010 seconds (approximately 5 feet). Awesome pass by Kalitta, Amato closing by 16 mph at the finish and coming up just short. Kalitta will have lane choice against Scelzi in the semifinals.