Fri, 12 Nov 1999, 08:32 PM POMONA - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the 35th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals 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: Terry Mullins Runs 4.792/297.42, Now #16; No Prior Run

---

Right Lane: Garth Widdison Runs 5.029/286.80, Now #18; No Prior Run

3:56 PM Neither of these two drivers made an attempt yesterday, so this was their first run of the event.

---

Left Lane: Randy Parks Runs 5.928/143.63, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.296/142.64, Was #20
Right Lane: Allen Hartley Runs 12.829/70.55, Now #24; No Prior Run

Hartley lost traction immediately. Parks went to about half track and then suffered an engine explosion. No oil, so we continue.

---

Left Lane: Robert Reehl Runs 6.813/119.62, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.343/204.91, Was #19
Right Lane: Andrew Cowin Runs 10.219/71.13, Now #21; Best prior run: 12.153/77.94, Was #23

Cowin lost traction immediately yesterday. Same story today, the front end in the air and the rear tires smoking. He pedaled it, then tire shake popped the chutes out. Reehl got a bit further down the track, then lost traction and wounded the engine, trailing dense smoke through the shutdown area.

---

Left Lane: Doug Herbert No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.847/284.62, Was #17
Right Lane: Bobby Baldwin Runs 5.226/205.44, Now #19; Best prior run: 10.324/83.89, Was #23

Herbert's engine grenaded in a huge fireball as soon as he hit the throttle. Pieces of engine went sailing in all directions. Large pieces went into the grandstands and flew over the left-hand stands, into the top end of the staging lanes and the Top Eliminator Club compound. Several spectators and at least one TV crewman were injured by the flying debris. One supercharger rotor landed about 200 feet down the track, a supercharger rotor landed near John Force's trailer in the pits, and a large piece of the intake manifold landed near the head of the staging lanes. Baldwin's run was lost in the excitement, but the replays show him losing traction and then losing an engine just beyond half track.

The preliminary report is that all the injuries are minor. Fourteen people were injured and ten will be transported for treatment. All are expected to be released this evening.

---

Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 10.826/81.37, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.775/274.27, Was #13
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 7.696/97.26, Now #22; Best prior run: 10.254/84.95, Was #23

Lost traction, both lanes. Grubnic pedaled and then lost traction again.

---

Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.718/297.48, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.751/290.19, Was #12
Right Lane: Mike Smith Runs 4.781/301.13, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.787/297.55, Was #15

Two clean, straight runs here with no apparent problems.

---

Left Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 10.576/82.30, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.744/301.74, Was #12
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.750/299.46, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.784/261.74, Was #15

Litton launched, rattled the tires, and shut it off. Head made a good-looking run, clean and straight.

---

Left Lane: Mike Dunn Runs 9.147/77.66, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.720/286.13, Was #11
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.574/327.03, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.712/300.13, Was #9

The fat lady is clearing her throat because all Schumacher had to do here was qualify in the sixteen-car field to clinch the Winston championship. This run will surely stand up and he adds another track speed record to his already long list. Kenny Bernstein may be "King of Speed," but Schumacher is the Crown Prince and heir apparent.

---

Left Lane: Don Lampus Runs 4.632/312.06, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.704/311.99, Was #9
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.597/317.34, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.669/315.56, Was #6

Two nice runs, Cory Mac nipping Lampus at the finish line in a great side-by-side exhibition.

---

Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.675/295.79, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.693/276.29, Was #9
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.586/307.16, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.658/293.98, Was #7

Two more good runs, Vandergriff's header flames out a bit early with top end traction problems.

---

Left Lane: Tim Gibson Runs 4.709/303.91, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.693/304.39, Was #9
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.712/290.44, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.653/314.75, Was #7

These two runs looked better than the numbers that came up and Gibson's car sacrificed an engine in the lights.

---

Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.570/322.11, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.613/316.90, Was #5
Right Lane: Joe Amato Runs 4.587/322.58, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.610/316.90, Was #4

Wow! Two great runs, side-by-side, and Amato's 4.58 is only good for fourth! Tomorrow's Big Bud Shootout should be a great race within a race.

That's it for this session, Scelzi on the pole by 0.004 seconds over Schumacher, with Doug Kalitta, Amato, and Cory Mac also in the fifties. Terry MUllins anchors the sixteen-car field with a 4.792, a number that should improve a lot tomorrow.




NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Feb 10- Wally Parks 75th Anniversary Appreciation Fund Part of $27 Million Overall Purse
Feb 08- NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Releases 2026 Schedule
Feb 07- Huge List of Legends Set to Appear at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 05- NHRA and Legends Global Extend Merchandise Partnership Ahead of 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 04- Doug Foley Announces Addition of Ron Douglas as Consultant to Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel Team
Feb 04- Tickets Now on Sale for NHRA's Debut at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway
Feb 04- Reed, Zetterström to Share Driving Duties of Reed Trucking & Excavating Top Fuel Dragster
Jan 29- NHRA to Honor Iconic John Force in 2027 with "50 Years Of Force"
Jan 28- Top Fuel All-Star Callout Returns to Open NHRA's 75th Anniversary Season at Gatornationals
Jan 28- John Force Racing Announces Crew Chiefs for NHRA's 75th Anniversary Season