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Friday
Results for Qualifying 1
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at
the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts listing
lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:
Left Lane: Steve Smith Runs 6.532/135.62, Now #1
Right Lane: Tracy Howard No Time, Now #2
9:00 PM Howard flamed out on the burnout, leaving Smith to make a solo pass.
He pedaled once just off the starting line, then shut it down around half
track.
Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.830/284.75, Now #1
Right Lane: Jim Bailey Runs 11.829/63.98, Now #3
Head has his own implementation of a driver capsule (now why isn't that a
surprise?), his consisting of titanium plates bolted to the frame. Sounds
expensive, but Head bought the titanium sheets as scrap for a few hundred dollars,
adding just 29 pounds to the weight of the car. Bailey launched, started to turn
the tires, pedaled, lost traction again and shut it down. Meanwhile, Head steamed
right down the middle of the lane, the engine spitting a few sparklers on the top
end but otherwise a clean pass.
Left Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.845/276.41, Now #2
Right Lane: Louie Allison Runs 13.413/60.40, Now #5
Litton appeared to shut off a bit before the finish line, but it was a good
pass otherwise. Allison launched, started to smoke the tires, pedaled, smoked them
again, and shut off.
Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 9.829/88.92, Now #5
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.903/273.83, Now #3
Romine launched, smoked, and shut it down. Millican started to rattle the
tires and pedaled through it to save the run.
Right Lane: Roger Dean Runs 12.462/82.27, Now #7
Mike Kloeber and the rest of the Lehman (Millican) team have been working
with Dean to try to help his program, but this pass was a wasted effort, the tires
up in smoke immediately.
Friday
Order for Qualifying 1
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Order after one round of
qualifying in Top
Fuel at the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by
Advance Auto Parts:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Jim Head Big Daddy's BBQ Dragster 4.830 284.75
2. Bruce Litton WIX Filters Dragster 4.845 276.41
3. Clay Millican Werner Dragster 4.903 273.83
4. Steve Smith Smith Trailers Dragster 6.532 135.62
5. Paul Romine CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster 9.829 88.92
6. Jim Bailey Havoc Racing Dragster 11.829 63.98
7. Roger Dean Rupert Oil Dragster 12.462 82.27
8. Louie Allison Vista Foods Dragster 13.413 60.40
Saturday
Results for Qualifying 2
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at
the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts listing
lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following
run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:
Left Lane: Tracy Howard No Time, Now #10
No Prior Run
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 5.527/175.98, Now #4
Best prior run: 9.829/88.92, Was #6
2:28 PM Howard loses an oil line on the burnout, leaving a trail of stuff on
the launch pad. Romine was on a fairly good pass until the engine let go in a ball
of flame at half track.
Left Lane: Louie Allison Runs 6.896/122.87, Now #5
Best prior run: 13.413/60.40, Was #8
Right Lane: Steve Smith Runs 5.025/293.54, Now #4
Best prior run: 6.532/135.62, Was #5
Howard's oildown was a nasty one, on the hardest-to-clean part of the
racetrack.
Allison lost traction about 200 feet out but stayed with it to
move up in the field, bumping Roger Dean. Smith was hazing the tires on the top
end, but moved up into the top half of the field anyway. Now it's Jim Bailey on
the bump spot at 12.462, a sitting duck for anyone who can manage a full pass - or
anything remotely close to a full pass.
Left Lane: Roger Dean Runs 5.850/231.40, Now #5
Best prior run: 12.462/82.27, Was #8
Right Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.823/296.37, Now #1
Best prior run: 4.845/276.41, Was #2
Bubble-sitter Dean moves up into the field despite lots of tire smoke and
dropped cylinders. No problems in the right lane, Litton cleanly through to take
over the top spot. Now Allison is on the bubble at 6.896, also a sitting duck.
Left Lane: Jim Bailey Runs 11.793/54.14, Now #9
Best prior run: 11.829/63.98, Was #9
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.898/281.60, Now #2
Best prior run: 4.830/284.75, Was #2
Bailey was up in smoke quickly, while Head made another clean run, a little
off his pace yesterday.
Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 13.186/68.00, Now #3
Best prior run: 4.903/273.83, Was #3
Millican was up in smoke immediately.
Saturday
Order for Qualifying 2
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Order after 2 rounds of
qualifying in Top Fuel
at the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by Advance
Auto Parts:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Bruce Litton WIX Filters Dragster 4.823 296.37
2. Jim Head Big Daddy's BBQ Dragster 4.830 284.75
3. Clay Millican Werner Dragster 4.903 273.83
4. Steve Smith Smith Trailers Dragster 5.025 293.54
5. Paul Romine CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster 5.527 175.98
6. Roger Dean Rupert Oil Dragster 5.850 231.40
7. Louie Allison Vista Foods Dragster 6.896 122.87
8. Jim Bailey Snap-On Racing Dragster 11.793 63.98
Saturday
Results for Qualifying 3
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top
Fuel at the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts
listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order
following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:
Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.966/275.34, Now #4
Best prior run: 5.527/175.98, Was #5
Right Lane: Roger Dean Runs 5.600/213.06, Now #6
Best prior run: 5.850/231.40, Was #7
8:30 PM Looked like lots of engine parts were used up in this pair, lots of
sparklers from the headers on the top end. But Romine finally got close to a full
pass and moved into the top half of the field.
Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.766/303.91, Now #1
Best prior run: 4.830/284.75, Was #2
Right Lane: Jim Bailey Runs 5.062/249.67, Now #6
Best prior run: 11.793/54.14, Was #8
Head made a beautiful pass, solidly into the seventies with our first 300 mph
speed of the weekend.
Left Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 5.174/195.25, Now #2
Best prior run: 4.823/296.37, Was #2
Right Lane: Louie Allison Runs 9.088/83.63, Now #8
Best prior run: 6.896/122.87, Was #8
Allison lost traction early and then left a wide trail of fluid in the lane,
but it's fuel, not oil, so a quick pass with the tractor should take care of the
problem. Litton's car appeared to be laboring and the header flames went out well
before the finish line.
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.877/256.80, Now #3
Best prior run: 4.903/273.83, Was #3
Millican was on a good run, but the header flames went out as he passed the
1,000-foot marker. He was quicker to 660 feet than Jim Head, so must have had some
kind of problem on the top half of the run.
Right Lane: Tracy Howard Runs 7.280/205.76, Now #9
No Prior Run
Howard's engine was spewing lots of raw fuel from the left headers on the
burnout, but they went ahead and staged the car anyway. He lost traction almost
immediately, pedaled a couple times, then managed to hook it up to finish under
power. He came close, but couldn't better Allison's 6.896 bump time.
Saturday
Order for Qualifying 3
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Final order after 3 rounds
of qualifying in
Top Fuel at the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by
Advance Auto
Parts:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Jim Head Dragster 4.766 303.91
2. Bruce Litton WIX Filters Dragster 4.823 296.37
3. Clay Millican Werner Dragster 4.877 273.83
4. Paul Romine CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster 4.966 275.34
5. Steve Smith Smith Trailers Dragster 5.025 293.54
6. Jim Bailey Snap-On Racing Dragster 5.062 249.67
7. Roger Dean Rupert Oil Dragster 5.600 231.40
8. Louie Allison Vista Foods Dragster 6.896 122.87
--------- Not Qualified ---------
9. Tracy Howard Dragster 7.280 205.76
Sunday
Results for Elimination Round 1
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top
Fuel at the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Paul Romine (CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster) 0.512 4.818 287.66
(L) Steve Smith (Smith Trailers Dragster) 0.535 13.401 74.77
4:40 PM After a three and a half hour rain delay, we finally get to hear the
cackle of blown fuel engines and smell the distinctive smell of burned nitromethane.
Romine struggled during qualifying, his final run the only one of the three that was
close to a full pass. But that run was apparently enough for his crew to get the
tuneup straightened out because this run was a good one for almost a quarter-mile,
while Smith smoked the tires instantly. Then the engine ate itself, leaving oil on
the track in the left lane, so Romine will get his second "black flag" penalty of
the event. The 2001 "black flag" penalty is 15 points for both qualifying and
eliminations, plus the driver does not get the five-point bonus for a clean run.
Romine has already lost 40 points and is only one round into the season.
(W) Clay Millican (Werner Dragster) 0.516 4.621 289.57
(L) Jim Bailey (Snap-On Racing Dragster) 0.556 5.085 236.71
Wow! Millican runs the quickest lap in IHRA history, the car up on the tires
and hooked up from the start, a 0.856 60-foot time, 3.104 seconds and 265.95 mph at
half track, 3.905 seconds at 1,000 feet.
(W) Bruce Litton (WIX Filters Dragster) 0.544 4.853 266.32
(L) Roger Dean (Rupert Oil Dragster) 0.669 5.374 228.50
Good run for Litton, but not in the same league as Millican's shocker. Nice
pass by Dean also, his best of the weekend, the car running out of steam on the top
end.
Millican has lane choice over Litton.
(W) Louie Allison (Vista Foods Dragster) 0.554 4.991 288.15
(L) Jim Head (Dragster) 0.539 6.424 133.98
Head left first and was a few hundredths ahead at 330 feet, then something let
go in the engine bay, blowing side panels off the car. He slowed and Allison
advances to race Romine in round two, Romine with lane choice.
Sunday
Results for Elimination Round 2
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top
Fuel at the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Paul Romine (CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster) 0.578 10.900 79.79
(L) Louie Allison (Vista Foods Dragster) 0.000(R) (Broke)
6:51 PM Romine was scheduled to face Louie Allison, but Allison's crew was
unable to turn the car in time to make the call, so Romine got a solo pass. That
was his first break of the weekend (except for broken parts) because Romine's
dragster smoked the tires almost instantly.
(W) Bruce Litton (WIX Filters Dragster) 0.567 4.723 302.62
(L) Clay Millican (Werner Dragster) 0.493 14.750 69.82
Millican needed a 4.667 to back up his earlier run as a record, but he also
needed to pay attention to beating a tough opponent in the other lane. Looks like
the team went for the record, but it backfired, the dragster losing traction
immediately. Litton made a nice pass, his best of the weekend, earning lane choice
against Romine in the final round.
Sunday
Results for Final Round
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of final, round 3 eliminations
in Top Fuel at the 31st annual Holley Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto
Parts:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Paul Romine (CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster) 0.466 4.758 309.77
(L) Bruce Litton (WIX Filters Dragster) 0.490 4.785 291.57
8:48 PM There are still several rounds of racing left for the Sportsman
competitors, but this is the final Professional race of the weekend and is a
duplicate of the final round pairing at the opening event of the 2000 season.
Romine won that one and went on to win the season-long title chase by a
whisker-thin margin. This weekend Litton has been consistently the quicker of the
two, except for the first round of eliminations, while Romine has battled tire
smoke and broken parts. So much for past history, Romine first off the line and
Litton quicker to half track, actually ahead by 0.005 seconds at that point. But
then Litton's engine started to eat itself, the header flames very green and
getting shorter, and Romine pulled away for top speed of the weekend and the win
light by a margin of victory = 0.051 seconds (approximately 22
feet).
Because of the "black flag" rule, Romine wins the event but leaves in
second place in the points.
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