Sonoma: Doug Herbert eliminations summary

Herbert has a short day at the Sonoma Races

SONOMA, Calif., Aug. 3, 2003 - Doug Herbert had trouble with drivers named David in the just-completed NHRA "western swing," that featured successive races at Denver, Seattle and here.

David Baca defeated Herbert's Snap-on Racing Top Fuel dragster in the first round of the Fram/Autolite Nationals Sunday at Infineon Raceway, a repeat of the Denver result two weeks ago. David Grubnic stopped Herbert in the opening round at Seattle a week ago.

Herbert and Baca were in a close duel down the quarter-mile track when the engine in Herbert's racecar dropped a cylinder and then expired with a boom before the finish line. The Snap-on dragster slowed to a 5.129 at 211.16 mph while Baca got the win with a 4.808 at 304.25.

"The cylinder went out at 1½-seconds," Herbert said.  "I couldn't see him
at all.  We were racing and I wasn't about to give up."

The early loss dropped Herbert into eighth place in NHRA POWERade Series points with 682.

The Snap-on team returns to competition at Brainerd, Minn., Aug. 15-17.

Qualified: No. 9, 4.686 seconds at 304.14 mph

First round: David Baca, 4.808 at 304.25 def. Herbert, 5.129 at 211.16

Pro winners: Larry Dixon, Top Fuel; Gary Scelzi, Funny Car; Jeg Coughlin Jr., Pro Stock.

Top Fuel Points: 1, Larry Dixon, 1462; 2, Doug Kalitta, 1152; 3, Darrell Russell, 880; 4, Cory McClenathan, 778; 5, Tony Schumacher, 773; 6, David Baca, 731; 7, John Smith, 685; 8, Doug Herbert, 682; 9, Brandon Bernstein, 629; Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 620.