Sat, Mar 20, 01:38 PM GAINESVILLE - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green Fifties are Cheap in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the 30th Annual Mac Tools Gatornationals 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:

---

Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.532/321.65, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.541/318.24, Was #1
Right Lane: Mike Dunn Runs 4.561/316.15, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.624/315.64, Was #6

12:09 PM We start with the current number one qualifier against Dunn, the world record holder. If this is any indicator we should be in for a great round. Dixon steps up with another clean pass, and top speed of the meet, while Dunn jumps three spots.

---

Left Lane: Joe Amato Runs 4.563/320.81, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.836/224.58, Was #17
Right Lane: Randy Parks Runs 4.763/310.05, Now #16; Best prior run: 11.837/71.95, Was #20

Amato goes from the outside to number four spot as the car moved hard from start to finish. Parks makes the show, but barely.

---

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.691/312.28, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.600/318.69, Was #6
Right Lane: Connie Kalitta Runs 4.584/314.61, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.694/308.99, Was #12

Kalitta got out about 200 feet and moved around a little, but then shot on through the quarter mile. Kalitta becomes the sixth driver to run a 4.50.

---

Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 9.525/73.84, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.612/314.46, Was #8
Right Lane: Eddie Hill Runs 4.748/239.50, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.577/314.97, Was #5

Vandergriff goes 150 feet and then has a big time explosion. He has a brief fire and parts and pieces start following him down the track. Hill started mixing up the cylinders at 1000 feet and does not improve.

---

Left Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 7.409/102.14, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.646/303.16, Was #11
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.660/298.87, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.721/289.76, Was #14

Sarver starts to blister the Goodyears by 300 feet. Head with a good pass, but not a lot of top end speed. The bump is Parks with a 4.763.

---

Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.587/311.34, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.775/0.00, Was #17
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.810/292.77, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.697/307.02, Was #14

We have the World Champion against the the Champion from the other organization. Scelzi is currently not in the show. Scelzi makes the show here with a good looking pass, clean and straight. Romine falls off his pace from yesterday, but stays in the show at number 15.

---

Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.725/298.47, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.755/284.45, Was #16
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.754/296.31, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.789/278.35, Was #18

Grubnic picks up a few hundredths to make this the quickest field in history. Kalitta with his best pass of the weekend, but it is not good enough to make the show.

---

Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.750/234.49, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.630/309.42, Was #10
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein No Time, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.548/318.62, Was #2

Bernstein starts smoking the tires around the 200-foot mark and clicks it off, and it is a good thing. In the other lane McClenathan has a big engine explosion and fireball at 1000 feet. The explosion was so massive it blew the engine right out of the frame rails. The chute does not open and then the right rear slick blows out and takes him into the wall. He skids to a stop up against the wall. It is reported Cory McClenathan is out of the car and okay. He will be taken to the hospital for a precautionary measure.

---

Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.551/316.67, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.633/298.80, Was #11

Herbert is here to play with the big boys. LaHaie is not going to be happy unless he is in top four, cars as he jumps to the number three spot. This is a career best elapsed time for Herbert.

He is the last car of this session. Dixon with his 4.532-second pass stays on the top of the list, and Grubnic is on the bump with a 4.725 to give us the quickest field in Top Fuel history




NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Apr 09- POMONA 1 - Thursday Schedule
Apr 08- Hood Scoops Set to Return to NHRA Pro Stock Category in 2027
Apr 07- PowerEdge Returns as Presenting Sponsor of DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway
Apr 07- GESi Pro Stock No. 1 Qualifier Award Returns for 2026 Season
Apr 06- POMONA 1 - Funny Car Preview
Apr 02- Revchem Composites Plays Critical Role in Ron Capps Motorsports' Continued Success
Apr 01- Second Wave of NHRA 75th Anniversary Commemorative Tickets Include Wealth of Legends
Mar 30- CHARLOTTE - Event Preview
Mar 30- BELLE ROSE - Super Gas Round 5 Eliminations
Mar 30- BELLE ROSE - HEMI Chootout Round 3 Eliminations