Reading: Doug Herbert final summary

Herbert Clinches Shootout Berth; Moves within 31 Points of Seventh

READING, Pa., Oct. 10, 2004 - Doug Herbert and the Snap-on Racing Top Fuel team advanced to the quarterfinals of Sunday's Lucas Oil Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway to pull within 31 points of seventh-place Cory McClenathan in the POWERade standings.

By qualifying 11th (4.652 seconds at 305.01 mph), Herbert also clinched seventh place in the special Budweiser Shootout standings. The eight-car field, determined by qualifying points earned at each of the first 21 races, will be contested Saturday, Oct. 30, at Las Vegas. The winner takes home $100,000.

Herbert upset No. 6 qualifier Morgan Lucas in the first round before losing to Scott Kalitta.

The facts:

Tuner Ed McCulloch made some fuel system changes during qualifying and the car didn't respond, so he returned to the tune-up he used last Sunday to win at Joliet, Ill. The car responded with a 4.575 at 324.98 mph to Lucas' 4.848 at 228.61 . . . Herbert left the starting line first (.084 to .101) against Kalitta, but Kalitta pulled away, winning with a 4.497 at 321.27 to 4.654 at 303.57 . . . Herbert has 1015 points and McClenathan has 1046, less than two rounds of racing with eight left (four at Las Vegas and four at the finals in Pomona, Calif.). Twenty points are awarded per round win.

Herbert quotes:

Our car's performance fell off against Kalitta and he stepped up. We ran good in the first round . . . Ed and Brissette (Jim, the tuning consultant) are onto something in the tune-up department because our car is running better . . . It would've been hard to beat Kalitta's 4.49. We should be able to make up those 31 points on Cory.

The statistics:

Qualified: No. 11, 4.652 seconds at 305.01 mph. First round: Herbert, 4.575 at 324.98 def. Morgan Lucas, 4.848 at 228.61; Quarterfinals: Scott Kalitta, 4.497 at 321.27 def. Herbert, 4.654 at 303.57.

Next up:

AC-Delco Nationals, Las Vegas, Oct. 29-31

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