General
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 16 May 1999 13:33:28 -0500 From: Robert Geiger <geiger@pdq.net> To: indy500@freenet.tlh.fl.us For more information on Team Pennzoil contact Rob Geiger at 888-527-7883. Pennzoil duo ...
Edited: May 8, 2001, 12:19 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 16 May 1999 13:33:28 -0500 From: Robert Geiger <geiger@pdq.net> To: indy500@freenet.tlh.fl.us
For more information on Team Pennzoil contact Rob Geiger at 888-527-7883.
Pennzoil duo reaches final four
COMMERCE, Ga. (May 16) – With each professional bracket pared down to just four drivers, the chase for the championship of the 19th Advance Auto Parts Nationals Sunday afternoon at Atlanta Dragway is certainly getting interesting.
For Team Pennzoil, the event is quickly becoming its best showing of the year. Sixty-three year old Top Fuel pilot Eddie Hill blazes into the semifinals with lane choice advantage over 1998 Rookie of the Year Doug Kalitta while Hill’s Pro Stock counterpart Mike Thomas earned his own trip to the semis with a win over Greg Anderson.
Here’s a recap of each driver’s successful quarterfinal race.
Eddie Hill, the pilot of the Pennzoil Top Fuel Dragster, got the early jump at the starting line and held on all the way down the strip in a spectacular win over Tony Schumacher. Hill left in 0.486 seconds to Schumacher’s 0.491 start and went on to card a 4.735-second lap at 311.99 mph to Schumacher’s 4.801-second lap at 291.32 mph.
“It feels absolutely wonderful to be heading into the semis in this good a shape,” Hill said. “Winning like that with a good, solid lap and having a nice reaction time is a real positive. Having lane choice is also huge advantage here. I can’t think of a place where it’s more important. At this point there is absolutely no reason to think we can’t continue running the way we have so far. It’s getting pretty exciting around here.”
Hill, from Wichita Falls, Texas, remains in control of his own destiny heading into the semifinals with the advantage of lane choice over Doug Kalitta. Kalitta beat Bruce Sarver in Round 2 with a 4.857-second lap at 295.46 mph.
Mike Thomas, the driver of the Pennzoil Pro Stock Pontiac Firebird, outlasted Greg Anderson with a 7.040-second pass at 198.26 mph to Anderson’s 7.185-second lap at 196.24 mph. The win earns Thomas a place in a Round 3 battle with Richie “The Kid” Stevens. Stevens will have lane choice due to his 6.999-second win at 198.06 mph over Steve Schmidt.
“We’re looking at every thing we can to try and figure out how to get down the left-hand lane,” Thomas said. “I’m not giving up that’s for sure. As hot as it’s getting the track seems to be evening up a little. Plus, we had a couple of real nice runs in the left lane in qualifying so it’s still wide open. We’ll give it our best effort. That’s all we can do.”
-30-
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Jackie Stewart To Open Watkins Glen Motor Racing Research Library
Next article 3rd Round at the Monaco Grand Prix
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Tony Schumacher
Capps, Schumacher score their first wins of 2018
NHRA
NHRA
Bristol
Capps, Schumacher score their first wins of 2018
Schumacher unconcerned by new crew chief’s lack of Top Fuel experience
NHRA
NHRA
Schumacher unconcerned by new crew chief’s lack of Top Fuel experience
Hagan, Brown, Enders lead first day of NHRA Spring Training
NHRA
NHRA
Hagan, Brown, Enders lead first day of NHRA Spring Training
Latest news
Spy shots of 2027 NASCAR Ford Mustang testing at Charlotte, but what's different?
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Charlotte II
31 min
Spy shots of 2027 NASCAR Ford Mustang testing at Charlotte, but what's different?
Five key takeaways from F1's big African Grand Prix reveal in Rwanda
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 1 h
Five key takeaways from F1's big African Grand Prix reveal in Rwanda
Niels Koolen makes switch to Abel Motorsports ahead of 2027 Indy NXT campaign
Indy NXT
IndL Indy NXT 2 h
Niels Koolen makes switch to Abel Motorsports ahead of 2027 Indy NXT campaign
GT World Challenge Portimao: All you need to know about season finale featuring Max Verstappen
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 3 h
GT World Challenge Portimao: All you need to know about season finale featuring Max Verstappen
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 Can-Am drivers
General
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 Can-Am drivers
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe