Sat, 2 Oct 2004, 02:53 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

JOLIET, Ill. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts 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:

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.571/313.44, Now #1; Best prior run: 15.096/72.69, Was #25
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.575/330.15, Now #2; Best prior run: 15.844/71.49, Was #26

1:09 p.m. We start out with a great side-by-side run, both right down the groove, and they take the top two spots on the ladder.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.542/329.02, Now #1; Best prior run: 14.880/82.72, Was #26
Right Lane: Tim Gibson Runs 10.553/83.18, Now #26; Best prior run: 11.815/83.20, Was #25

Gibson rattles the tires off the line and shuts down. Schumacher goes right down the groove and takes the pole for now.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.564/330.47, Now #2; Best prior run: 10.294/79.57, Was #24
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.622/324.28, Now #7; Best prior run: 10.506/87.22, Was #25

Two more good runs, the Kalitta cars get in the field in the second and seventh spots for now.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.568/331.04, Now #3; Best prior run: 10.280/82.59, Was #25
Right Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 4.956/255.82, Now #14; Best prior run: 9.304/101.25, Was #20

Hartman-Smith was on a decent pass, then something started coming off the car, not sure what, around half-track and she slowed. Bernstein went right down the groove to get in the show in the third spot.

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Left Lane: Brady Kalivoda Runs 4.630/324.75, Now #9; Best prior run: 10.271/76.90, Was #25
Right Lane: Mitch King Runs 5.015/296.83, Now #17; Best prior run: 8.700/95.20, Was #21

Kalivoda makes a career best run here and gets in the field in the ninth spot. No apparent problems for King but he doesn't make the show.

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Left Lane: Gary Ormsby Jr Runs 10.322/78.26, Now #25; Best prior run: 9.973/81.56, Was #25
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 9.951/92.27, Now #22; Best prior run: 7.574/97.06, Was #22

Trouble for both drivers, Dixon gets about 200 feet out and goes up in smoke, Ormsby just a little further.

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Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.820/287.17, Now #14; Best prior run: 9.964/83.21, Was #24
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 9.663/87.98, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.648/123.59, Was #21

Strasburg gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Weis makes a decent but starts mixing up cylinders and blows the engine just before he goes through the lights.

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Left Lane: Andrew Cowin Runs 8.452/96.53, Now #24; Best prior run: 9.692/86.08, Was #24
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.602/319.22, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.049/228.81, Was #19

Cowin gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires, then clicks it off. Herbert goes right down the groove and gets in the show.

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Left Lane: John Smith Runs 4.634/306.74, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.786/183.27, Was #21
Right Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 4.904/292.01, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.989/241.67, Was #18

Smith makes a decent pass to get in the field in the 11th spot for now. Novelli makes his quickest pass of the year but can't get in the field.

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Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 13.169/89.80, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.560/169.96, Was #21
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.858/300.60, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.867/307.16, Was #17

Hartley goes up in smoke right off the line and has to abort the run. Karamesines makes a clean pass but doesn't get in the field.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.716/310.41, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.818/225.94, Was #15
Right Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 4.622/322.27, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.697/316.45, Was #13

Zizzo makes a career best pass, both ET and speed, and he gets in the field in the 10th spot. Lucas improves a little and moves up a notch.

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Left Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.690/316.90, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.761/300.00, Was #15
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.540/326.16, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.617/315.34, Was #8

Millican goes right down the groove and takes the top spot for now. Litton improves a little and moves up a notch.

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Left Lane: David Baca Runs 9.556/81.82, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.647/315.78, Was #13
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 8.290/90.71, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.615/309.63, Was #8

Both drivers get about 300 feet out, smoke the tires, then shut down. That ends this session with Millican on the pole and Weis on the bump with a 4.820.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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