Thu, 3 Nov 2005, 06:59 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 41st annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Robert Reehl Runs 4.865/297.02, Now #1
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman No Time, Now #2

2:56 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 39 percent, barometer 29.39 inches, adjusted altitude 1,525 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

Chrisman hit the throttle, the dragster moved about 10 feet, then the engine went back to idle, not sure why. Rheel went right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Doug Foley Runs 4.673/308.35, Now #1
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 7.060/118.52, Now #3

Hartley started shaking the tires about 200 feet out and had to shut down. Foley went right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 4.822/269.56, Now #2
Right Lane: Bobby Lagana Jr. Runs 10.764/75.90, Now #5

Lagana got about 250 feet out and went up in smoke. Strasburg was on a decent pass, then started losing the engine about 1000 feet out.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.696/300.53, Now #2
Right Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.989/206.95, Now #5

Beckman was on a good run, then the engine goes up in a big ball of flame. Millican went right down the groove, then started mixing up cylinders about 1000 feet out.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.534/326.63, Now #1

Troxel makes a great pass, right down Broadway, and takes the early pole.

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Left Lane: John Smith Runs 9.814/85.47, Now #9
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.748/281.30, Now #4

Smith starts shaking the tires early, then goes up in smoke about 300 feet out and clicks it off. Weis had a cylinder out all the way through the run.

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Left Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 4.501/316.08, Now #1
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.601/323.81, Now #3

Fuller was moving around all the way through the run, but he still makes a great pass and takes the pole for now. McClenethan went right down the groove to get in the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 10.176/74.72, Now #13
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.672/314.83, Now #4

Kalitta gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Bernstein made a decent pass but had a cylinder out on the left side of the car all the way through the run.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.597/283.49, Now #4
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.553/317.79, Now #3

Lucas was on a decent pass, ahead of Herbert at half-track, then raw fuel starting coming out of the headers about 1200 feet out, probably losing a blower belt.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 6.428/121.63, Now #14
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.573/324.75, Now #4

Grubnic gets about 400 feet out and goes up in smoke. Kalitta makes a decent pass and gets in the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.549/324.20, Now #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.504/328.78, Now #2

Schumacher makes a good run but can't overtake Fuller for the top spot. Dixon goes right down the groove and gets in the fourth spot. David Grubnic is on the bump spot at 6.428.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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