Sun, 14 Nov 2004, 04:29 PM Top Fuel Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  743 Morgan Lucas                            2 Doug Kalitta
E2   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.526 326.08                     0.099  5.532 183.42
 Prior rounds:
E1    (L Dixon     ) 0.073  4.519 325.77      (A Cowin     ) 0.117  4.598 274.61
 Qualified:             #9  4.546 317.49                        #1  4.472 328.62

1:09 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 28.94 inches, adjusted altitude 2,167 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

The Russell Memorial race car has to be sentimental favorite. Both cars leave together and Kalitta pulls ahead to almost the 330 lights, when the tires go up in smoke. Lucas continues to have good power and clutch management to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Cory McClenathan                        7 David Baca
E2                   0.117  6.778 125.71     ****WINNER****  0.104  4.859 287.11
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.088  4.546 325.69      (D Herbert   ) 0.089  4.568 325.06
 Qualified:            #11  4.598 319.22                        #3  4.487 327.43

Baca puts both lights on before Cory gets pre-staged and still had a minor advantage off the line. He then gets a big advantage, as McClenathan smokes the tires before the 330 lights.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  319 Scott Kalitta                           6 Brandon Bernstein
E2   ****WINNER****  0.110  4.658 278.92                     0.087 12.544  66.15
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Hartman-Sm) 0.072  4.542 326.95      (S Weis      ) 0.079  4.718 304.46
 Qualified:             #4  4.509 322.34                        #5  4.517 329.26

These two have met in the second round at Brainard, Memphis, Indy, Dallas, Chicago, and now Pomona. Bernstein gets a nice starting line advantage and then faces the right lane curse of smoking the tires. Kalitta has his own problems with fire out of the engine near the topend. No oil, so the racing continues. Lucas will have lane choice in the Semi's.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Tony Schumacher                       757 David Grubnic
E2   ****WINNER****  0.095  4.488 321.88                     0.088 11.460  77.21
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Smith     ) 0.102  4.494 325.45      (B Kalivoda  ) 0.097  4.543 329.42
 Qualified:             #2  4.485 327.11                        #7  4.522 327.90

It's over immediately, as Grubnic is up in smoke at the hit. Outside of some smoke off the engine in the lights, Schumacher makes another killer run. He will have lane choice over Baca next round.

1:21 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink