Top Fuel

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Tuesday

Saturday Results for Qualifying Round 1

POMONA, Calif. - POMONA 1 - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run: Left Lane: Del Cox Jr Runs 4.020/24.49, Now #1 Right Lane: Steve Farria Runs 4.854/252.61, Now #2 2:56 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 61 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 28.72 inches, adjusted altitude 2,025 feet, track temperature 76 degrees. The dark cloud are starting to cover the skies again. This will be the first official qualifying attempt for both drivers. They were licensed at the Vegas Test two weeks ago. Lots of pumping! Cox leaves second, but is much quicker in 60 feet. He does a full "lift and stab" before the 330 foot lights and legs it on down the track. Farria's car is way slow off the line with only a 1.010 sixty foot time and he has to feather the throttle several times going down the track. "Career Best" for both drivers ! Left Lane: Andy Carter Runs 4.020/24.50, Now #1 Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.091/307.79, Now #3 Great looking pass for Carter [BTW: Still no MPH in the left lane]. No chute for Carter, but he is able to get the car slowed without a problem. Langdon had the better numbers through sixty feet, but had to slap the throttle before the 330. Left Lane: David Baca Runs 3.920/25.91, Now #1 Right Lane: Arley Langlo No Time, Now #6 Langlo's engine sounded like there was no throttle stop on the burn out and the engine zingged way up to past high "C" before there appeared to be a flash from the injector and the chute fell out. He backed completely over it before the starting line crew could get him stopped. Great looking return pass for the Mach1/Global Services TF team. Straight and true to the finish line and Baca is our new #1 qualifier. Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.968/0.00, Now #2 Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 3.980/305.01, Now #3 Two more ninety passes and Massey drifts over and gets very close to the finish line lights. 3:09 p.m. We have "Stuff" on the track in the right lane. No points or dollars for 2009. Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 3.748/0.00, Now #1 Right Lane: Urs Erbacher Runs 3.915/305.63, Now #2 Whoa!! Hartman runs over 0.165 seconds quicker than his prior career best on a great looking pass. Erbacher was right behind him and moves into the #2 with a career best MPH. Looks like more oil in the right lane. Left Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 4.000/0.00, Now #6 Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 5.142/144.84, Now #11 Clean pass end to end for Chrisman and he too runs a career best ET. Millican gets the clutch ahead of the tires and has to stab it a couple of times to settle it down. Left Lane: Troy Buff No Time, Now #14 Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.548/270.81, Now #10 Looks like Miller's TF'er had a problem that couldn't be fixed and they had to shut him off on the line. Lucas had a reasonable 0.864 sixty foot time and then had to pedal down track. Just past half track, the right side body panels from the front of the foot-well to behind the roll bar blew off and flew way up in the air. Looked like he dumped the Sunday L.A. Times out of the car. Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.016/0.00, Now #8 Right Lane: B. Bernstein Runs 3.866/317.42, Now #2 Kalitta got the advantage off the line and then started to push a head gasket before the 660 lights. He slows a bunch. Bernstein has the power and makes a clean pass into the new #2 spot on the ladder. Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.708/0.00, Now #1 Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.851/313.66, Now #3 660ft-3.074/274.72 mph. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.081/275.00 mph. Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 6.326/0.00, Now #18 Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.897/311.99, Now #5

Saturday Order for Qualifying Round 1

POMONA, Calif. - SUMMIT FastNews - Final order after one round of qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals: Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed 1. Antron Brown Matco Tools Dragster 3.708 0.00 2. Joe Hartley Hartley Racing Dragster 3.748 0.00 3. Cory McClenathan Fram Dragster 3.851 313.66 4. Brandon Bernstein Budweiser/Lucas Oil Dragster 3.866 317.42 5. Tony Schumacher U.S. Army Dragster 3.897 311.99 6. Urs Erbacher Midland Oil Switzerland Dragst 3.915 305.63 7. David Baca Mach 1/Global Services Dragste 3.920 0.00 8. Spencer Massey US Smokeless Dragster 3.968 0.00 9. Mike Strasburg B & J Transmissions Dragster 3.980 305.01 10. Steven Chrisman Chrisman Driveline Dragster 4.000 0.00 11. Doug Kalitta Kalitta Motorsports Dragster 4.016 0.00 12. Del Cox Jr LA King's/RG Industries DRA Dr 4.020 0.00 13. Andy Carter Lucas Oil Dragster 4.020 0.00 14. Shawn Langdon Lucas Oil/Dixie Chopper Dragst 4.091 307.79 15. Morgan Lucas Geico Powersport/ Lucas Oil Dr 4.548 270.81 16. Steve Farria System One Filtration Dragster 4.854 252.61 --------- Not Qualified --------- 17. Clay Millican MPE Motorsportd Dragster 5.142 144.84 18. Larry Dixon Al-Anabi Racing Dragster 6.326 102.68

Sunday Results for Elimination Round 1

POMONA, Calif. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals: W/L Driver R-Time E-Time Speed (W) Mike Strasburg (B & J Transmissions Dragste 0.106 3.997 253.71 (L) Spencer Massey (US Smokeless Dragster) 0.072 4.195 260.36 11:46 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 63 degrees, relative humidity 59 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 1,975 feet, track temperature 64 degrees Lots of dark cloud over the track. This is the first time Strasburg and Massey have faced each other in NHRA eliminations. It's Strasburg from before the sixty foot lights to the finish line. Massey is away first but can't match the B&J Transmissions cars pace. (W) Steven Chrisman (Chrisman Driveline Dragste 0.135 4.086 285.59 (L) David Baca (Mach 1/Global Services Dragster 0.116 7.632 93.26 This is the first time Chrisman and Baca have faced each other in eliminations. Baca gets a small advantage off the line and them has wacky header flames after the 330 lights. It starts to spin the tires and then went hard towards the center line. Chrisman runs straight and true down the track, close to his qualifying time, for the easy win. (W) Doug Kalitta (Kalitta Motorsports Dragster) 0.154 4.648 194.49 (L) Urs Erbacher (Midland Oil Switzerland Drags 0.143 NT-Timing Problem Kalitta is 2 - 0 against Erbacher in prior events. Well, that was interesting! Erbacher gets off the line first and has to watch Kalitta fly on by before the 60 foot lights. Kalitta Big Yellow Car then has a big time fire off the engine, but stays on the throttle to take the win. Erbacher matches the Yellow Cars 330 foot times and then gets out of it to coast on down. He gets no time for his efforts. (W) Morgan Lucas (Geico Powersport/ Lucas Oil D 0.063 3.846 310.20 (L) Joe Hartley (Hartley Racing Dragster) 0.097 3.955 307.37 After a brief delay to clean up Kalitta's mess, we start the next pair. Lucas is 1 - 0 against Hartley in prior events. OK! We finally get a pair together through the lights. Lucas nails the tree and just pulls steadily away from Hartley for a significant MOV. Morgan Lucas' MOV: 0.1433 seconds (approximately 65 feet). Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.165, 660ft-3.075/278.86 mph. Joe Hartley's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.228, 660ft-3.170/269.19 mph. Lucas will race Chrisman in round two. (W) Antron Brown (Matco Tools Dragster) 0.090 4.222 279.79 (L) Steve Farria (System One Filtration Dragster 0.087 5.099 155.10 First pass in eliminations for Faria and he gets the advantage off the line over Brown. Things start to go bad after that and he too has a boomer to slow. Brown had a soft 0.882 sixty foot time, but is out in from before sixty feet. He then has to lift for severe tire shake after the 100 foot mark. He nails it again, runs hard on down the track . He has his own problems after that with a lot of smoke from the engine in the lights. Interesting! He gives up lane choice to Strasburg in the next round. (W) Brandon Bernstein (Budweiser/Lucas Oil Drag 0.061 4.758 192.69 (L) Andy Carter (Lucas Oil Dragster) 0.080 DQ-Centerline This is the first pass in US eliminations for European Champion, Andy Carter, and he has an exciting run. Bernstein gets away first and spins and shakes first. He gets the car way sideways and has to get completely out of the throttle to settle the car down. He was a sitting duck at that point. Carter's times were weak down low, but he quickly drove on by. Down track he has his own shake problems has to pump several times. He joins Lucas in the flying body panel club, with the same right side panels flying off the car after the 660 lights. He has to manhandle the car to try to stay in his lane, but loses the battle near the finish line, crossing just into Bernstein's lane. Bernstein will get the win. Lucky man! 12:10 p.m. Time out for clean up. (W) Cory McClenathan (Fram Dragster) 0.093 3.934 313.37 (L) Shawn Langdon (Lucas Oil/Dixie Chopper Drag 0.066 4.221 217.81 4:04 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 58 degrees, relative humidity 64 percent, barometer 28.88 inches, adjusted altitude 1,703 feet, track temperature 64 degrees. Well, that took a lot longer than expected. These two were ready to start the engines after the clean up when Mother Nature decided to delay the show. Lots of rain for a long time. Langdon gets a small advantage off the line and is still ahead to near the 330 lights. The engine goes bang and he slows. Cory Mac Fram car had the same sixty foot time, by he had to pedal right after that. He does a clean pump job and still runs under four seconds to take the big win. He'll have lane choice big time over Kalitta, whenever we actually get to run round two. Another delay to clean up the Stuff" in the left lane. (W) Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army Dragster) 0.093 3.845 312.42 (L) Del Cox Jr (LA King's/RG Industries DRA Dra 0.095 4.008 302.08 4:17 p.m. It took a while to clean up the left lane from the 660 to almost the 1000 foot lights! This is Cox's first professional round of eliminations and he gets The Sarge! Great race and Schumacher gets the win and will have lane choice over Bernstein in the next round.They left almost together and the US Army car was well ahead by 60 feet. Cox was game, but didn't have the power to stay with him. It got a little more exciting near the finish line, as Schumacher's car got very close to the centerline. Tony Schumacher's MOV: 0.1653 seconds (approximately 73 feet). Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.077/276.80 mph

Tuesday Results for Elimination Round 2

POMONA, Calif. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals: W/L Driver R-Time E-Time Speed (W) Antron Brown (Matco Tools Dragster) 0.081 15.892 26.16 (L) Mike Strasburg (B & J Transmissions Dragste -9.999(R) NT-No Show 11:34 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 29.04 inches, adjusted altitude 1,538 feet, track temperature 72 degrees. It's finally clear weather and reasonable track conditions for round two. Strasburg is going to be kicking himself for leaving Pomona early. The Matco fueler finds a bunch of ways to lose and still gets the single car win. The tires start to smoke at the green; the blower backfires; and the chute came out. The car stops on the track and has to be pulled to the turnout. (W) Doug Kalitta (Kalitta Motorsports Dragster) 0.077 3.826 27.38 (L) Cory McClenathan (Fram Dragster) 0.098 3.886 296.83 Great race and Kalitta wins at both ends of the track. The MPH is bogus, but Kalitta was clearly in the lead at the finish line. Looks like pistons though, with smoke off the engine in the lights. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.056/279.27 mph. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.089/272.28 mph. (W) Morgan Lucas (Geico Powersport/ Lucas Oil D 0.048 3.886 305.08 (L) Steven Chrisman (Chrisman Driveline Dragste 0.181 5.159 136.02 The last time a "Chrisman" won a round at Pomona was 1962! He'll have to wait for another win, as Lucas marches down the track from start to finish. Clean pass, close to his first round numbers. Chrisman was a lot late at the green and then dropped a cylinder before the 330 lights. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.099/274.11 mph. (W) Brandon Bernstein (Budweiser/Lucas Oil Drag 0.094 3.834 311.49 (L) Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army Dragster) 0.107 3.865 313.44 Looks like 2009 is going to be tough for Team Schumacher. Bernstein gets the lead at the green and pulls steadily ahead for the 20 foot plus win. Clean pass for Schumacher, just not good enough to get past the Budweiser car. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.065/277.49 mph. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.185, 660ft-3.096/277.15 mph. 11:59 a.m. Bernstein will have lane choice over Brown and Kalitta will have choice over Lucas in round three.

Tuesday Results for Elimination Round 3

POMONA, Calif. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals: W/L Driver R-Time E-Time Speed (W) Antron Brown (Matco Tools Dragster) 0.074 3.778 312.78 (L) Brandon Bernstein (Budweiser/Lucas Oil Drag 0.068 9.268 80.92 2:07 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 29.02 inches, adjusted altitude 1,712 feet, track temperature 81 degrees. Bernstein gets a small advantage off the line and then has the slicks go up in smoke. He lifts and slowly drives down the track. Brown hits a home run with a near perfect pass to run one of the quickest 1000 foot times.Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.831 sec., 330ft-2.113, 660ft-3.011/279.09 mph. (W) Doug Kalitta (Kalitta Motorsports Dragster) 0.098 3.825 313.95 (L) Morgan Lucas (Geico Powersport/ Lucas Oil D 0.068 7.131 100.15 Lucas makes a strong move off the line and then drops a hole and shakes the tires hard. He has to lift. Kalitta gets the car from start to finish without any drama (or fire) for a clean win and a trip to the finals. 2:12 p.m. Brown will have lane choice.

Tuesday Results for Final Round

POMONA, Calif. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals: W/L Driver R-Time E-Time Speed (W) Doug Kalitta (Kalitta Motorsports Dragster) 0.056 3.822 308.57 (L) Antron Brown (Matco Tools Dragster) 0.054 3.847 307.16 3:55 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 29.02 inches, adjusted altitude 1,666 feet, track temperature 77 degrees. We are finally down to the final round of top fuel after a long wait. This weekend is the forth career Top Fuel #1 Qualifying position. Brown and Kalitta have two wins each against each other, so this will be the rubber match. Both cars leave together, with Brown getting a small 0.002 RT advantage. Kalitta Power takes over and he pull steadily ahead at the 330 lights. Both cars are glued together the rest of the way to the finish line and 2009 looks like it will be a much better year for the Kalitta's. Doug Kalitta's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.018), 330 ft(0.005), 660ft(0.019). MOV: 0.0234 seconds (approximately 11 feet). 3:57 p.m.

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