Fri, 17 May 2013, 21:58 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 25th annual NHRA Kansas 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: Luigi Novelli No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.378/214.38, Was #16

Novelli with problems on the burnout and came to a stop on the track.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.811/321.12, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.221/203.65, Was #15
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 3.887/312.71, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.558/117.66, Was #19

Millican launched hard and had the header flames shooting high over the rear wing all the way down the track. Millican goes to the number one spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.061/283.49 mph. Dakin with his quickest and fastest pass of the season to go to the number 10 spot. Pat Dakin's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.174, 660ft-3.110/278.75 mph.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.012/264.60, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.149/226.20, Was #16
Right Lane: Tim Cullinan Runs 7.474/80.80, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.925/144.74, Was #19

Cullinan with problems right at the hit and it appeared to push out the head gasket. Palmer was on a good pass and then appeared the right header broke as the header flames got real weird. It pushed off the right rear canard.

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 61 percent, barometer 28.70 inches, adjusted altitude 3,279 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.848/317.57, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.933/316.82, Was #15
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.803/316.15, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.624/166.81, Was #18

Brown launched hard and was straight down the groove to go to the number one spot...Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.145, 660ft-3.043/281.01 mph. Vandergriff with a real nice pass to get in the show at the number eight spot. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.081/275.67 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.777/317.34, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.909/271.24, Was #15
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.813/319.75, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.922/310.20, Was #16

This was a great side-by-side drag race. Langdon with flames high into the air and he goes to the number one spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.028/287.41 mph. Grubnic was right there with him to go to the number four spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.028/287.41 mph.
David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.166, 660ft-3.060/282.42 mph.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.847/319.52, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.884/318.77, Was #13
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.842/321.96, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.899/310.84, Was #16

McMillen was straight down the groove to go to the number eight spot and Force was right there with him. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.197, 660ft-3.096/282.72 mph.
Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.177, 660ft-3.086/279.67 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.770/324.98, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.842/320.51, Was #9
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.794/319.75, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.895/312.28, Was #16

This was a great side-by-side drag race as Kalitta goes to the number one spot and Massey to the number three spot. This was a picture perfect run for both teams. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.139, 660ft-3.026/284.87 mph.
Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.153, 660ft-3.045/284.81 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.769/326.08, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.838/320.81, Was #9
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 5.110/146.27, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.856/315.78, Was #15

Lucas started to lose traction and pedaled it but was back up in smoke. Schumacher launched hard and keep it hooking on all eight and the big Goodyears stuck to go to the number one spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.149, 660ft-3.030/288.03 mph.

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Left Lane: Leah Pruett No Time, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.833/311.85, Was #9
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.822/317.72, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.849/317.27, Was #14

Torrence with a real nice pass and he gets in the show at the number eight spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.152, 660ft-3.060/279.15 mph. Pruett was right there with Torrence and then right before the finish line and the car made a quick move toward the centerline and collected the top end timing blocks. Leah Pruett's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.171, 660ft-3.067/278.52 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.819/321.27, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.828/324.90, Was #9
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.794/324.44, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.843/309.20, Was #12

Bernstein improves on his previous pass with a real nice run but will stay in the number nine spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.071/281.42 mph. alBalooshi with a great pass, straight down the groove and hitting on all eight to go to the number four spot. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.050/285.89 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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