Sat, 1 Oct 2005, 02:45 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

JOLIET, Ill. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fifth annual Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Tim Gibson Runs 4.754/285.83, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.103/198.93, Was #19
Right Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 4.805/321.65, Now #19; Best prior run: 7.074/112.55, Was #21

1:01 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 39 percent, barometer 29.12 inches, adjusted altitude 1,763 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

A couple of decent passes for both drivers, no apparent problems, but neither get in the show.

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Left Lane: John Smith Runs 5.065/215.34, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.629/312.78, Was #13
Right Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 4.763/289.76, Now #18; Best prior run: 10.868/80.34, Was #22

Zizzo was moving around all over the track, getting close to the centerline about 800 feet out, then he loses the blower belt just before he crosses the finish line.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.554/321.73, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.611/318.99, Was #12
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.548/324.75, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.565/316.75, Was #10

Millican makes a good pass, but started mixing up cylinders right before the finish line. Kalitta goes right down the groove and moves up a notch.

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Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 5.016/221.67, Now #21; Best prior run: 4.969/256.60, Was #21
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.577/321.27, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.724/282.01, Was #16

Hartley gets about 700 feet out, starts losing cylinders, then throws the blower belt. Beckman makes a decent pass and gets off the bump.

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Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 7.930/107.69, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.021/146.96, Was #22
Right Lane: Tim Cullinan Runs 4.733/301.94, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.669/308.64, Was #15

Weis gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. Cullinan makes a decent pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Bobby Lagana Jr. Runs 4.681/312.64, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.778/309.84, Was #19
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 5.064/195.28, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.536/326.95, Was #8

Troxel started moving around at the hit and it got worse as the run progressed. She gets to halftrack, the car makes a hard move to the right, then she backs off the throttle. Lagana went right down the groove and got in the show on the bump spot.

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Left Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.730/309.63, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.682/311.56, Was #17
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.513/326.79, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.520/323.81, Was #7

Lucas goes right down the groove and makes his quickest pass of the weekend. Litton has a trouble free pass but slows from his earlier attempts.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 10.076/76.30, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.578/325.61, Was #13
Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 5.508/160.52, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.508/329.10, Was #5

Grubnic gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. Fuller has problems late in the run and shuts down, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.522/330.39, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.564/325.92, Was #11
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.524/330.31, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.491/329.58, Was #4

A good side-by-side here, both go right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.715/313.80, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.511/326.63, Was #6
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.541/325.06, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.480/325.30, Was #3

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.589/324.05, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.466/328.14, Was #2
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.473/326.48, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.437/331.77, Was #1

Schumacher does it, he needed a 4.481 to back up the run from last night for a national record.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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