Thu, Mar 18, 12:54 PM GAINESVILLE - Pro Stock Truck Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan It's a 7.60s Kind of Day

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Pro Stock Truck at the 30th annual NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Scott Perin Runs 7.791/173.92, Now #1

12:04 PM Perrin is in a new Chevy S-10 entry, first trip down the strip, so goes solo. The truck is a bit loose for the first 200 feet, then settles down.

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Left Lane: Chip Ippolito Runs 19.607/37.73, Now #2

Ippolito is also in a new truck, another Chevy S-10. He doesn't fare as well, the front end up and wandering all over the place until he shuts it down.

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Left Lane: Larry Seay Runs 7.825/172.28, Now #2
Right Lane: Grant Lewis Runs 8.002/175.32, Now #3

ewis posted a very slow 1.3-second 60' time, problems getting the truck launched.

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Left Lane: Samuel Tompkins Runs 7.833/173.74, Now #3
Right Lane: Dave McConnell Runs 9.586/100.17, Now #5

Lots of engine death-smoke from McConnel's truck almost immediately after the launch.

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Left Lane: Mark Whisnant Runs 7.887/171.66, Now #5
Right Lane: Chris DeSalvo Runs 7.853/165.68, Now #4

Two clean runs here.

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Left Lane: Sondra Sikes Runs 7.717/175.46, Now #1
Right Lane: Brian Self Runs 7.756/174.87, Now #2

Sondra steps up and grabs the temporary pole position (but it won't last).

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Left Lane: Vinny Barone Runs 8.152/134.86, Now #10
Right Lane: John Coughlin Runs 7.723/175.21, Now #2

Barone's truck was slippin' and slidin'...

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Left Lane: Bob Panella Jr Runs 7.644/177.56, Now #2
Right Lane: Mark Osborne Runs 7.623/177.74, Now #1

Two solid runs here, and the numbers back it up.

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Left Lane: Jeff Lukovich Runs 7.737/174.53, Now #5
Right Lane: Joe Pigford Runs 8.148/140.09, Now #13

Pigford's Chevy was having trouble running a straight line and he shut it down.

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Left Lane: Tim Freeman Runs 7.637/177.21, Now #3
Right Lane: Larry Kopp Runs 7.608/177.07, Now #1

Two more nice runs, putting Osborne's new truck in a sandwich in the order.

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Left Lane: Todd Patterson Runs 7.640/176.72, Now #4
Right Lane: Mike Coughlin Runs 7.665/176.14, Now #6

Looks like a 7,60s kind of day, the top runners all under 7.70.

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Left Lane: Don Smith Runs 7.820/173.70, Now #13
Right Lane: John Lingenfelte Runs 7.646/178.00, Now #6

Smith couldn't keep up on the top end.

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Left Lane: David Spitzer Runs 7.652/175.87, Now #7
Right Lane: Craig Eaton Runs 7.684/174.14, Now #9

Spitzer is in Steve Schmidt's new GMC truck and the new entry performs well enough to make it into the top half of the field. Eaton's truck spent a little too much time wandering around in the first 200 feet to threaten for the pole position.

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Left Lane: Jerry Haas Runs 7.648/176.40, Now #7
Right Lane: Dale Eaton Runs 7.674/175.00, Now #10

Not much to say - except that Perin is on the bubble at 7.791 and Sikes is all the way down to 12th. It's going to take a 7.60s run to make this tough field before the day is over.

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Left Lane: Randy Daniels Runs 7.680/176.70, Now #12
Right Lane: Brad Jeter Runs 7.621/177.02, Now #2

Two more good runs, Jeter moving up to challenge for the top spot. That bumps Perrin and puts Jeff Lukovich on the bubble at 7.737. The top 13 trucks are under 7.70 already.

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Right Lane: Roy Simmons Runs 7.795/171.14, Now #19

Simmons' Dakota got off to a very wobbly start, killing his ET.

That's it, one round in the books and Larry Kopp on the pole at 7.608.




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