Sat, 31 May 2003, 06:19 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

JOLIET, Ill. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Sixth annual Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 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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Right Lane: Tim Cullinan Runs 4.812/291.63, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.924/282.95, Was #15

Current weather conditions: 56 degrees, 61 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.98 inches, with a track temperature of 82 degrees.

Cullinan launched hard and was able to keep the candles lit and the tire stuck all the way down the 1320. Cullinan got in the show and that bumped Karamesines.

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Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.640/321.96, Now #9; Best prior run: 7.330/105.87, Was #19
Right Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 5.007/280.95, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.852/290.13, Was #15

Weis with a 0.863 60-foot time and was able to keep it hooked up to run a career fastest pass here and get in the show here.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 5.124/197.71, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.591/188.83, Was #19
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 11.113/80.18, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.719/310.48, Was #13

Herbert launched hard with front tires hiked and then just pass half track he started mixing up the cylinders and then had a big fireball when the engine let go. Herbert will not make the show for the first time in 59 events the last time Herbert did not race on Sunday was Memphis of 2000. Romine with problems early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 5.354/192.60, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.689/174.08, Was #19
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.633/316.38, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.663/318.99, Was #11

Karamesines was mixing them up on the top end and he will not make the show. Grubnic puts together good back to back pass here, but will stay in the number nine spot.

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Left Lane: Don Reed Runs 5.530/178.10, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.553/178.24, Was #19
Right Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 4.614/322.73, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.645/310.05, Was #11

Russell with a good looking pass here straight down Broadway to get into the top half of the show.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.749/294.63, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.830/296.37, Was #15
Right Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 4.562/316.23, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.631/315.19, Was #9

Troxel with a good clean pass, but was only able to sit and watch as Rhonda just drove away with here career quickest pass. She moves in right behind her husband in the number four spot.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.668/317.42, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.688/313.51, Was #12
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.579/324.75, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.594/325.53, Was #7

Head improved on his earlier time, but not not enough to move up the ladder. Bernstein was on real nice looking pass until just before the finish line when it dropped a couple cylinders. He still runs his his best pass of the weekend, but will stay number 7.

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Left Lane: David Baca Runs 4.561/325.30, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.616/321.27, Was #9
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.550/328.86, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.575/325.53, Was #6

This was a great side by side drag race with both of them running their best times of the weekend. This was a career fastest pass for Baca.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.532/318.84, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.520/329.26, Was #2
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 6.151/137.26, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.570/320.58, Was #7

Kalitta with the quickest 60-foot time of the session so far and then pushed out a head gasket just past half track. He keep his foot in it and still runs a great number. McClenathan threw the blower belt just before half track.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.673/257.28, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.512/326.16, Was #1
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 7.085/106.99, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.556/325.77, Was #4

Smith lifted the front end and got out of the groove before he clicked it off. Schumacher was on a pretty good pass until just before the finish line when the engine let go. Schumacher will stay number one for first time since last year at Reading and this is the fifth time he has qualified number one.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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