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LAS VEGAS - Doug Kalitta, driver of the bright red, 8,000-horsepower Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster and current POWERade championship points leader, marched to the semi-final round of final eliminations Sunday at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Doug, the No. 5 qualifier (4.530 sec., 329.38 mph), defeated Bob Vandergriff Jr. in the opening round of eliminations, 4.581 sec., 325.45 mph to 4.689 sec., 320.13 mph. In the quarterfinals, Doug defeated his Team Kalitta teammate Hillary Will, 4.547 sec., 324.90 mph to 8.872 sec., 82.28 mph.
In the semifinals, Doug faced off against the second place holder in championship points Tony Schumacher. Doug made a valiant effort, but it was not enough to get by Schumacher, 4.584 sec., 327.35 mph to 4.494 sec., 322.42 mph.
Doug and the Mac Tools team won the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout special event for Top Fuel on Saturday by defeating Rod Fuller in the final round, 4.567 sec., 329.18 mph to 4.669 sec., 266.95 mph.
Doug now leads the POWERade championship points by 45 over Schumacher with one race remaining on the 2006 POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule in Pomona, Calif., Nov. 9-12.
Dave Grubnic, driver of the pink and black StriVectin-SD Top Fueler, qualified for Sunday's eliminations in the No. 9 spot (4.570 sec., 327.19 mph). He defeated Doug Herbert in the first round, 4.609 sec., 295.66 mph to 6.731 sec., 123.66 mph. Grubnic and his StriVectin-SD team also fell victim to Schumacher in eliminations when they lost to the Alan Johnson-tuned dragster in the second round, 7.320 sec., 110.21 mph to 4.538 sec., 330.63 mph.
Grubnic remains in sixth place in POWERade points.
Doug's cousin Scott Kalitta, driver of the specially decorated Technicoat Companies Toyota Solara Nitro Funny Car, defeated Ron Capps in the opening stanza of Funny Car final eliminations, 4.810 sec., 316.30 mph to 4.866 sec., 317.87 mph. Scott, the No. 6 qualifier in Funny Car with a career-best elapsed time of 4.726 sec., and a career-best speed of 325.69 mph, raced Eric Medlen in round two. Scott's Solara lost traction before the half-track mark and that let Medlen cruise through for the win, 6.837 sec., 127.45 mph to 4.799 sec., 321.96 mph.
The ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals was the 22nd of 23 events in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
NHRA Top Fuel Points Leader Doug Kalitta Reaches the Semifinals in Las Vegas
Top Fuel Teammate Dave Grubnic and Funny Car Teammate Scott Kalitta Reach Quarterfinals
LAS VEGAS - Doug Kalitta, driver of the bright red, 8,000-horsepower Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster and current POWERade championship points leader, marched to the semi-final round of final eliminations Sunday at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Doug, the No. 5 qualifier (4.530 sec., 329.38 mph), defeated Bob Vandergriff Jr. in the opening round of eliminations, 4.581 sec., 325.45 mph to 4.689 sec., 320.13 mph. In the quarterfinals, Doug defeated his Team Kalitta teammate Hillary Will, 4.547 sec., 324.90 mph to 8.872 sec., 82.28 mph.
In the semifinals, Doug faced off against the second place holder in championship points Tony Schumacher. Doug made a valiant effort, but it was not enough to get by Schumacher, 4.584 sec., 327.35 mph to 4.494 sec., 322.42 mph.
Doug and the Mac Tools team won the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout special event for Top Fuel on Saturday by defeating Rod Fuller in the final round, 4.567 sec., 329.18 mph to 4.669 sec., 266.95 mph.
Doug now leads the POWERade championship points by 45 over Schumacher with one race remaining on the 2006 POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule in Pomona, Calif., Nov. 9-12.
Dave Grubnic, driver of the pink and black StriVectin-SD Top Fueler, qualified for Sunday's eliminations in the No. 9 spot (4.570 sec., 327.19 mph). He defeated Doug Herbert in the first round, 4.609 sec., 295.66 mph to 6.731 sec., 123.66 mph. Grubnic and his StriVectin-SD team also fell victim to Schumacher in eliminations when they lost to the Alan Johnson-tuned dragster in the second round, 7.320 sec., 110.21 mph to 4.538 sec., 330.63 mph.
Grubnic remains in sixth place in POWERade points.
Doug's cousin Scott Kalitta, driver of the specially decorated Technicoat Companies Toyota Solara Nitro Funny Car, defeated Ron Capps in the opening stanza of Funny Car final eliminations, 4.810 sec., 316.30 mph to 4.866 sec., 317.87 mph. Scott, the No. 6 qualifier in Funny Car with a career-best elapsed time of 4.726 sec., and a career-best speed of 325.69 mph, raced Eric Medlen in round two. Scott's Solara lost traction before the half-track mark and that let Medlen cruise through for the win, 6.837 sec., 127.45 mph to 4.799 sec., 321.96 mph.
The ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals was the 22nd of 23 events in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
