Monday

Top Fuel Results for Elimination Round 1

CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals: W/L Driver RT ET Speed (W) Clay Millican (104+ Octane Boost Dragster) 0.066 5.039 279.38 (L) David Grubnic (Red Line Oil Dragster) 0.095 6.537 119.13 11:00 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 88 percent, barometer 29.02 inches, adjusted altitude 2,477 feet, track temperature 99 degrees. It's a beautiful, if slightly muggy, day. The sun is shining, there's a slight breeze, the stands are full, Big Mac is on the mic and country star Clay Walker just delivered an awesome rendition of the National Anthem, in memory of our friend Darrell Russell. We start, as usual, with the 8-9 match-up. This is Millican's 3rd U.S. Nationals, but he has never gone down the track in eliminations. He has one DNQ, and last year did not come back for eliminations after the event was rain-delayed. Grubnic comes in with a 1-4 career record at this event. Grubnic hazed the tires just past the 330-foot mark and banged the blower. Millican was up in smoke an instant later but recovered to get the win. (W) Morgan Lucas (Lucas Oil Dragster) 0.065 4.661 319.07 (L) Cory McClenathan (Carrier Boyz/Berryman Drag0.120 5.456 183.15 Cory Mac has two wins here, in '96 and '99. Last year, he qualified seventh and lost in the opening frame, so obviously he's hoping for a reversal here. Lucas won Top Alcohol Dragster last year. Indy number 13 is unlucky for Cory Mac. Lucas drills the Tree and makes a great run to advance. McClenathan was up in smoke before half-track. (W) Brandon Bernstein (Budweiser/Lucas Oil Drags0.134 4.676 317.57 (L) Brady Kalivoda (Bill Miller Engineering Drag0.024 9.022 83.22 Both of these drivers are making their first Top Fuel appearances at the U.S. Nationals. This is a battle of second-generation racers: you know who Brandon's dad is, and Brady's father is Division 6 Hall of Fame member Dick Kalivoda, a living legend in that part of the country. Kalivoda deep-staged and had a huge holeshot, but his dragster was up in smoke very early. Bernstein's dragster dropped a cylinder at the top end, but that was the only flaw in that run. (W) Larry Dixon (Miller Lite Dragster) 0.086 4.972 276.13 (L) Rhonda Hartman-Smith (Fram Filters Dragster)0.118 5.890 200.98 Dixon is here for the tenth time as a driver. He won here in his first try in 1995 and scored again in 2001. He also has a runner-up finish. Hartman is making her eighth Indy appearance and is 3-4 at this event. Rhonda smoked the tires before 330 and lifted. But then Dixon hazed the tires before he reached half-track, and she got back on it. It was too little, too late, however, as Dixon expertly recovered and got to the stripe first. (W) T.J. Zizzo (Torco Racing Fuels Dragster) 0.082 4.702 311.05 (L) Doug Herbert (Snap-On Tools Dragster) 0.103 4.720 305.98 Herbert scored back-to-back runner-up finishes here in 1992 and '93. However, he only has one round win here in his last five appearances. Zizzo is competing at Indy for the first time. Upset! Herbert deep-staged but the kid still got the jump. Zizzo led at every incremental and will have lane choice over Dixon in round two thanks to his best run of the event. T.J. Zizzo's MOV: 0.0398 seconds (approximately 18 feet). (W) Scott Kalitta (Mac Tools/Jesse James Dragste0.111 4.660 320.81 (L) Andrew Cowin (Cowin Family Racing Dragster) 0.084 4.940 287.35 Kalitta is the senior member of this field, as this is his 15 U.S. Nationals. This race has not been kind to him, as he is just 6-12 here, including 5-9 in Top Fuel. Cowin went all the way to the final in 1999 from the number 16 spot, so he is definitely a threat in this one. Cowin had the holeshot and was ahead as they crossed the 330-foot mark, but he had to pedal it before half-track and Kalitta marched away, posting low e.t. of the round. He will pick his lane against Bernstein in the next round. (W) Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army Dragster) 0.069 4.559 325.53 (L) Mike Strasburg (B&J Transmissions Dragster) 0.116 5.781 176.93 Way back in 1996, Sarge made his first NHRA professional appearance at this event. Eight years later, he comes in as the two-time defending champion, with three career U.S. Nationals titles and a stellar 18-4 record at this event. Strasburg, meanwhile, is here for the first time in Top Fuel. Strasburg never had a chance in this one. Schumacher got the holeshot, posted an .843 short time, made his best run of the event and recorded top speed of the meet. He will have lane choice over Lucas in round two. (W) Doug Kalitta (MAC Tools Dragster) 0.010 4.784 313.15 (L) Bruce Litton (Lucas Oil Dragster) 0.056 7.085 126.35 Kalitta is just 5-6 here at Indy. Litton, whose shop is literally across the street, has no round wins at this event. Check out Kalitta's light. Litton went up in smoke early and Kalitta scored a relatively easy win. He'll pick his lane against Millican.

Top Fuel Results for Elimination Round 2

CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals: W/L Driver RT ET Speed (W) Larry Dixon (Miller Lite Dragster) 0.071 4.652 316.08 (L) T.J. Zizzo (Torco Racing Fuels Dragster) 0.115 4.729 305.08 1:12 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 74 percent, barometer 29.01 inches, adjusted altitude 2,798 feet, track temperature 108 degrees. This is the first meeting between these two drivers, and Zizzo is the 68th different driver to race Dixon. Zizzo comes in with lane choice and is hot off his best run ever. Zizzo makes another solid run, but it was all Dixon once the green light flashed. (W) Doug Kalitta (MAC Tools Dragster) 0.089 4.658 315.78 (L) Clay Millican (104+ Octane Boost Dragster) 0.029 4.738 299.86 Millican is 3-1 against Kalitta. Make it 3-2. Millican deep staged and had a great light. Millican was out in front all the way to the 1000-foot mark, but a dropped cylinder at the top end hindered his efforts and Kalitta blew by him. Kalitta loses lane choice to Dixon. Doug Kalitta's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.029), 330 ft(-0.022), 660ft(-0.013), 1,000ft(-0.004). MOV: 0.0202 seconds (approximately 9 feet). (W) Scott Kalitta (Mac Tools/Jesse James Dragste0.084 4.653 317.57 (L) Brandon Bernstein (Budweiser/Lucas Oil Drags0.121 6.261 152.35 This is the rubber match between these two, as both have won twice in head-to-head competition. Bernstein blazed the tires 350 feet out and had to watch as Kalitta cruised into the semi's. That's the third straight winner to post a 4.65. (W) Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army Dragster) 0.087 4.602 322.11 (L) Morgan Lucas (Lucas Oil Dragster) -0.082(R) 17.413 83.51 Lucas knocked off Schumacher at Memphis a couple of weeks ago in their only meeting. Either Lucas double-clutched it or something was wrong because he left way early and just idled up the track. Once again, Sarge was low for the round and he will have lane choice against Scott Kalitta.

Top Fuel Results for Elimination Round 3

CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals: W/L Driver RT ET Speed (W) Doug Kalitta (MAC Tools Dragster) 0.083 4.628 315.78 (L) Larry Dixon (Miller Lite Dragster) 0.066 4.919 274.66 3:00 p.m. Dixon holds an 18-13 edge against Kalitta. Dixon has won Indy before, Kalitta has not. He's one step closer now. Dixon was leading at the 330-foot mark but started hazing the tires before half-track. He pedaled it but Kalitta was too strong, posting his best run of eliminations. (W) Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army Dragster) 0.104 4.743 297.88 (L) Scott Kalitta (Mac Tools/Jesse James Dragste0.097 8.232 87.36 These two have battled 12 times with each winning six. Sarge goes to the final at the U.S. Nationals for the third straight year. Kalitta smoked the tires and blew it up. Schumacher's run wasn't pretty, with dropped cylinders and a lot of smoke at the stripe, and he'll give up lane choice in the final. He used one of his three free oil-downs on that one, leaving "stuff" in the shut-down area.

Top Fuel Results for Final Round

CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of final, round 4 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals: W/L Driver RT ET Speed (W) Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army Dragster) 0.061 4.597 323.66 (L) Doug Kalitta (MAC Tools Dragster) 0.078 4.621 316.45 Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 61 percent, barometer 28.99 inches, adjusted altitude 3,085 feet, track temperature 104 degrees. This is the fifth time these two have raced this season, with each driver claiming two wins. This is a rematch of the final at the Winternationals in February. Schumacher won that one, and he's gunning for his fourth Indy title, and third in-a-row. Kalitta is hoping to join his uncle Connie as a U.S. Nationals winner. Schumacher joins Don Garlits as the only Top Fuel driver to win the U.S. Nationals in three consecutive years. Tony Schumacher's incremental margins: 60ft(0.024), 330 ft(0.034), 660ft(0.028), 1,000ft(0.030). MOV: 0.0411 seconds (approximately 19 feet). 4:45 p.m.

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