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Sat, 10 Nov 2001, 04:10 PM

BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT - Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 17th annual Budweiser Shootout at Pomona:


 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Gary Scelzi                3,635  Q    5 Doug Kalitta               3,405
                  0.488  6.577 133.28  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.485  4.580 319.60

Here we go for the big Budweiser money under overcast skies, the temperature is around 70 degrees, humidity is 57% and the barometer is 30.10 inches. They leave the line together and then Scelzi blistered the hides around 150 feet and that was the end of his chances for the Budweiser money. Kalitta with a nice pass straight down the groove to take the win.


 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   3 Mike Dunn                  3,655  Q    6 Doug Herbert               3,075
 *****WINNER***** 0.509  4.700 313.00  E1                  0.455  4.973 253.80

Herbert with a big starting line advantage, but then starts to haze the tires just past half track. Dunn with a big puff of smoke as he crossed the finish line.


 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Larry Dixon                3,725  Q    7 Tony Schumacher            3,055
 *****WINNER***** 0.456  4.555 315.78  E1                  0.517  4.733 281.89

Dixon is out of the gate first as he launched hard with the wheels up and a 0.839 60-foot time, he just stretched it out from there. Schumacher smoked the tires around 900 feet. Dixon will have lane choice over Dunn in the semi-finals.


 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Kenny Bernstein            3,750  Q    8 Darrell Russell            3,050
                  0.484  4.588 321.04  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.469  4.580 313.95

Russel with the slight advantage on the starting and a quicker 60-foot time and the power to hold off the hard charging Bernstein for the win. Margin of victory = 0.023 seconds (approximately 11 feet). the closest race of the first round, but Russell will give up lane choice to Kalitta based on mph because they had identical e.t.s.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink