Sat, 20 Sep 2003, 05:31 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 16th annual O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil 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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Right Lane: Bill Ancona No Time, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.760/160.37, Was #19

With a big bang Ancona bang the blower on the burnout.

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Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 5.015/265.22, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.823/285.05, Was #16
Right Lane: Mitch King Runs 5.296/206.29, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.591/168.24, Was #18

Current weather conditions: 79 degrees, 46 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.12 inches, with a track temperature of 124 degrees.

Rhonda started to haze the tires just past 330-foot mark and clicked it off. King got out of the groove and started to loose traction and started mixing up the cylinders and used up the engine. We are down for a clean up.

Rhonda will have to wait and see if her time will hold, Karamesines and Freeman are the only two that can bump here out.

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Left Lane: John Smith Runs 5.467/180.60, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.770/290.19, Was #15
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 5.234/184.47, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.763/306.12, Was #14

Apparently Karamesines and Freeman have decided not run, Rhonda will make the show.

Both cars started to loose traction around half track and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 6.011/142.46, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.745/304.74, Was #13
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 8.269/100.93, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.728/315.78, Was #12

Weis was up in smoke by 330 feet. Palmer lost traction right before half track and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 8.194/88.06, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.681/280.31, Was #11
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 6.160/141.53, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.679/310.98, Was #10

Romine was up in smoke by the 330-foot mark. Herbert lost traction right before half track and the used up the engine and there is oil on the track.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.668/308.57, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.664/318.24, Was #9
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.616/319.98, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.592/323.43, Was #7

Finally we get a drag race both cars are able to keep the Goodyear stuck and the candles lit all the way down the 1320 for nice clean passes.

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Left Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 4.715/306.26, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.604/321.04, Was #8
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.614/311.41, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.551/321.65, Was #3

Russell with a whisp of tire smoke around half track, but he drove through it. Schumacher with quickest 60-foot time and pass of the session in the new car.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.699/320.05, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.587/315.34, Was #6
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.711/299.20, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.542/327.90, Was #2

Millican started to shake the tires right off the starting line to about 150 feet, but stayed with it for a good pass. Millican with the fastest pass of the session. Kalitta was quicker to every incremental but the finish line as he slowed on the top end.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 11.556/72.86, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.586/322.19, Was #5
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 9.174/101.10, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.533/319.75, Was #1

Dixon was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Baca made it to about 200 feet before he lost traction and clicked it off. Schumacher with the quick pass of the session. For the second race in a row Baca will qualify number one in Top Fuel.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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