Englishtown: Doug Herbert finals summary

Snap-On Racing Report

Herbert comes up short against Schumacher at E-Town

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J., May 19, 2002 - On the plus side for Doug Herbert and his Snap-on Racing Top Fuel team at the weekend's NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bride Township Raceway Park was that his elapsed times improved on each run.

On the negative side was the fact that he didn't run quick enough to get past the first round in the eighth Powerade Series event of the season.

"We did get better . . . just not better enough," he said after losing to Tony Schumacher in the opener Sunday. "The Snap-on dragster was on a good run. It just spun the tires a little bit about 400 feet out and Schumacher came by me."

Schumacher won with a 4.649-second, 323.43-mph run to Herbert's 4.717 at 308.21.

Another race that was marked by changing weather conditions - comfortable but wet on Friday, cold and wet on Saturday and sunny and cool on Sunday - kept crew chief Johnny West busy. Herbert ran 6.307 in his only attempt Friday before rain ended competition. He followed with a high, wheel-standing 5.040 at 271.84 and a lower, wheel-standing 4.897 that put him 14th going into eliminations.

"At least we were going in the right direction," said Herbert, who believes that direction will continue during the O'Reilly Summernationals, Friday through Sunday, at Topeka, Kan.

Herbert goes into the event in eighth place with 340 points, three behind No. 7 Rhonda Hartman-Smith and 41 behind No. 6 David Grubnic.

Qualified: No. 14, 4.879 seconds at 303.84 mph

First round: Tony Schumacher def. Herbert

Pro Winners: Kenny Bernstein, Top Fuel; Gary Densham, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock

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