Sun, 8 Oct 2000, 07:14 PM MEMPHIS - Top Fuel Final, Round 4 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Fuel at the 13th annual AutoZone Nationals presented by Pennzoil:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Gary Scelzi         4.604 311.85  Q   10 Larry Dixon         4.675 303.71
   (L Novelli   ) 0.516  4.601 312.42  E1   (D Grubnic   ) 0.484  4.668 305.98
   (M Troxel    ) 0.463  4.645 305.70  E2   (J Amato     ) 0.468  4.743 274.39
   (R Hartman-Sm) 0.485  4.630 305.84  E3   (D Kalitta   ) 0.473  4.709 299.53
 *****WINNER***** 0.467 No Time or Speed E4                0.451 DQ-Centerline

5:44 PM This was a bizarre finish to an eventful weekend, Scelzi smoking the tires almost immediately and Dixon streaking away on an apparent winning run, disappearing behind the cloud of tire smoke from Scelzi's car. Dixon's crew started jumping up and down, celebrating what looked like an easy win. Then the win light came on in Scelzi's lane and his crew started celebrating, unaware of what was taking place behind the tire smoke. What happened was that Dixon's car snapped in two just past the half-track timing markers, where it was clocked at 3.123 seconds and 263.62 mph. The car arched upward and then broke just ahead of the driver's compartment bulkhead. The rear half of the car then sailed into the air, the downforce on the rear wing no longer balanced by the downforce on the front wing. The rear half stayed mostly intact as it sailed over the 1,000-foot marker, landing just before the finish line in Scelzi's lane. Dixon's car slid across the finish line, stopping the clocks in the left lane and turning on Scelzi's win light with Scelzi still back around half track. Then the back half of the car slid and flopped several hundred feet down the track, rolling from side to side but never really tumbling, essentially intact except for one missing rear wheel. Dixon was reported to be alert and responsive with no visible injuries by NHRA medical services personnel, but was transported to the Regional Medical Center for evaluation.