Sun, 29 Oct 2000, 11:56 AM HOUSTON-2 - Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 4th annual Matco Tools SuperNationals presented by Racing Champions:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   8 Larry Dixon         4.657 309.84  Q    9 Doug Herbert        4.663 315.86
                  0.485  6.091 215.07  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.482  5.643 215.89

11:00 AM Dixon has had Herbert's number all season long, 5-0 in previous races, but Herbert got his revenge here in one of the strangest races I've ever seen. Dixon went up in smoke immediately and began pedaling. Herbert's chute shook loose at about the same time and he also started smoking the tires and pedaling. Towing the chute all the way, Herbert outpedaled Dixon for the win. Bizarre! That's probably a national record for towing a chute!

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  11 Melanie Troxel      4.684 318.32  Q    6 Bob Vandergriff     4.649 314.83
                  0.473  9.655 105.14  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.533  4.749 310.84

Troxel was up in smoke immediately and Vandergriff, on a conservative tuneup, was clean and smooth all the way for the easy win.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 David Grubnic       4.641 317.12  Q   12 Kenny Bernstein     4.699 314.97
 *****WINNER***** 0.508  4.763 314.46  E1                  0.476  7.604 103.85

Bernstein was up in smoke before going 100 feet and Grubnic evened their season record at 1-1 with what appeared to be a clean run. However, he got out of the car quickly and took a look in the engine bay, so apparently he hurt it a bit.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   3 Don Lampus          4.580 320.36  Q   14 Rhonda Hartman-Smi  4.728 307.02
 *****WINNER***** 0.497  4.890 280.84  E1                  0.461  7.332 105.79

Lampus ran well during qualifying, only one "throwaway" run, while Hartman-Smith had three bad runs in four attempts, her best 0.05 seconds slower than Lampus' worst full pass. But that would have been good enough to take the win here, Lampus with problems on the top end of the run, the engine cutting in and out - except that Hartman-Smith once again smoked the tires before the 330-foot marker. Vandergriff will have lane choice against Lampus in round two.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Mike Dunn           4.530 322.34  Q   16 Bobby Baldwin       4.769 304.53
                  0.521  6.471 142.22  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.576  5.341 189.07

This was Dunn's first run in eliminations this season - not counting Bristol. It was also his first real tire-smoker in eliminations this year, the rear tires up in smoke before going 100 feet. Baldwin made a clean run, the engine silent for much of the second half of the run, but more than quick enough to get the win light against the Yankee Dragster's first strikeout. That gives Baldwin lane choice against Herbert in round two, a pair of upset winners matched up.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Cory McClenathan    4.540 321.35  Q   15 Bill Walsh          4.730 307.79
 *****WINNER***** 0.509  4.587 319.37  E1                  0.498  4.718 311.77

Nice drag race, Cory Mac showing how it's supposed to be done. Walsh made his best pass of the weekend with a good reaction time, but it wasn't even close at the other end.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  13 Joe Amato           4.702 303.30  Q    4 Gary Scelzi         4.589 311.85
 *****WINNER***** 0.482  4.614 315.34  E1                  0.480  5.212 200.80

Two golf partners meet in round one - and Amato made their season record 3-2 in his favor when Scelzi went up in smoke about 200 feet out. He pedaled and recovered, but by then Amato was long gone. Amato also wins lane choice against Grubnic in round two.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   7 Doug Kalitta        4.655 313.22  Q   10 Andrew Cowin        4.683 316.38
 *****WINNER***** 0.520  4.648 312.50  E1                  0.589  4.742 299.13

Last pair. Cowin won their only previous meeting this year. Kalitta evened the score with a holeshot and a clean run, Cowin late and then puffing the tires and dropping a cylinder or two at half track. Kalitta advances, but loses lane choice to Cory Mac by 0.06 seconds in round two.