LAS VEGAS 2 - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

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Sat, 25 Oct 2003, 04:59 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Jonathan Adams

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA 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:

Left Lane: KC Spurlock Runs 4.800/295.21, Now #15; Best prior run: 11.078/101.57, Was #23
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 13.123/72.23, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.739/160.50, Was #20

1:02 p.m. We begin this session with Karamesines on the bump at 4.865. That didn't last very long as Spurlock makes a good pass and gets in. Grubnic was up in smoke at the hit, and he's down to his last chance.

Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 5.152/216.00, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.781/263.62, Was #14
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.723/307.93, Now #12; Best prior run: 12.060/77.37, Was #24

Romine bumps Pustari and puts Spurlock on the bump. Rhonda hazed the tires just before half-track, but did a good job of pedaling it. There was more tire smoke farther down track, and she shut it off early.

Left Lane: David Baca Runs 5.785/153.53, Now #24; Best prior run: 9.088/84.76, Was #24
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.659/291.76, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.010/217.28, Was #20

Baca was on a nice run until it smoked the tires just past the 330-foot mark. Weis, meanwhile, has no visible problems and earns a spot in the field. It's worth noting that Baca was ahead of Weis 2.154 to 2.193 at 330.

Left Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 14.445/75.86, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.628/310.91, Was #8
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 4.729/283.19, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.740/159.66, Was #23

Russell didn't go two feet before going up in smoke. Strasburg got in, but a wiggle, some smoke out of the headers and a tossed blower belt hindered his effort.

Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.861/238.26, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.762/288.95, Was #16
Right Lane: Bill Ancona Runs 5.009/227.61, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.658/303.16, Was #11

Palmer is on the bump at 4.762. Ancona is looking to make the show for the second straight race. Palmer was on a good run until the engine went silent about 1000 feet out. Ancona's car was smoking the tires at half track, but he kept his foot in it and blew it up. We're down for a clean-up in the right lane.

1:14 p.m.

Left Lane: Rit Pustari No Time, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.850/295.72, Was #19
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.856/298.47, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.117/256.21, Was #22

1:25 p.m. And we're back, with two guys who are not in. Pustari blew it up at the hit, rolling to a stop just past 60 feet. Herbert got down the track, but is still about a tenth slow.

Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 5.544/168.09, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.730/310.48, Was #15
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 4.955/289.51, Now #22; Best prior run: 5.007/253.04, Was #22

Millican was on a decent run until it started hazing the tires before half track. Hartley improves but does not get in.

Left Lane: Shirley Muldowney Runs 4.797/254.62, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.643/318.02, Was #10
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 5.069/255.00, Now #21; Best prior run: 4.865/285.23, Was #21

Shirley is definitely the crowd-favorite this weekend. Karamesines was in at the beginning of this session, but has dropped out since. Shirley's car made a violent move to the left and she had to left as she was very close to the wall. In the other lane, Karamesines rode out a pretty good fire, and we're down for another clean-up.

1:33 p.m.

Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.607/323.66, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.559/324.83, Was #6

1:43 p.m. Dixon makes a nice run but does not improve. No visible problems.

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.610/321.58, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.543/325.30, Was #4
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 5.547/164.59, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.545/323.97, Was #5

Cory Mac was ahead to the 330-foot mark, but hazed the tires just before half-track and shut it off. Kalitta, like Dixon, makes a good run but does not improve.

Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.765/270.05, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.591/322.34, Was #7
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.576/324.59, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.543/327.66, Was #3

Bernstein with low e.t. of the round, as the Bud team continues to run well at the end of the season. Head clicked it early.

Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.632/314.02, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.532/329.10, Was #2
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.528/318.92, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.520/331.45, Was #1

Schumacher with an impressive run, as he had low e.t. of the session by five hundredths. That was his second straight 4.52, and he is the only guy to run in the 4.50's in all three sessions.

1:55 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink