Sun, 12 Nov 2000, 04:58 PM POMONA-2 - Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 36th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  14 Doug Herbert        4.732 313.51  Q   11 David Grubnic       4.685 313.73
   (D Kalitta   ) 0.515  4.918 294.69  E1   (J Amato     ) 0.476  4.918 278.98
 *****WINNER***** 0.489  4.904 301.33  E2                  0.507  4.894 278.35

1:35 PM The second round opens with a pair of upset winners from the first round. Doug Herbert gets his second holeshot win of the season. The Herbert car dropped a cylinder right at the hit but Grubnic had problems in the other lane. Just after half track he appeared to blow out a head gasket and the back of the car was bathed in fire. On the replay you could even see fire coming up in front of the driver. It was a short clean up for Grubnic, but a clean up none the less.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Tony Schumacher     4.571 320.81  Q    7 Andrew Cowin        4.669 310.91
   (M Smith     ) 0.514  4.606 317.27  E1   (S Muldowney ) 0.523  8.208 178.59
 *****WINNER***** 0.507  4.668 310.48  E2                  0.518  4.741 305.77

This was a great race. The drivers left almost together and stayed that was until about half track. At the point the Army horsepower took over and it was end of event for Cowin. Tony Schumacher will have lane choice when he faces Doug Herbert in the semifinals.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Mike Dunn           4.522 325.69  Q    8 Larry Dixon         4.672 308.92
   (B Baldwin   ) 0.524  4.566 316.82  E1   (T Gibson    ) 0.519  4.765 254.90
 *****WINNER***** 0.504  4.582 315.64  E2                  0.471 10.296  81.88

Dunn just keeps mowing them down this weekend. The track is heating up and it's getting tougher to throw down those big numbers. Dixon was up in smoke at around 300 feet and he could not recover.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 Gary Scelzi         4.617 311.77  Q    4 Melanie Troxel      4.590 322.96
   (K Bernstein ) 0.485  4.563 318.39  E1   (B Vandergrif) 0.518  4.674 315.27
 *****WINNER***** 0.512  4.657 308.00  E2                  0.493  4.935 288.70

Troxel can't get a hold of the track in the Exide racer and is smoking the tires before 400 feet. Scelzi got off the line well but around half track the Winston car started hazing the tires all the way to the finish. According to the PA that win ties Scelzi for all time record of round wins in a season. The semifinal pairing with Mike Dunn and Gary Scelzi should be worth the price of admission. Dunn will have lane choice.