Sat, 5 Nov 2005, 07:29 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 41st 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:

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Left Lane: Ray Stutz No Time, Now #23; Best prior run: 17.665/40.37, Was #23
Right Lane: Robert Reehl Runs 5.085/286.44, Now #20; Best prior run: 4.865/297.02, Was #20

3:44 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 29.32 inches, adjusted altitude 1,799 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Stutz crew had trouble getting the engine to fire and he does not make a run. Rheel made a clean run but slows from his earlier run.

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Left Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 9.090/98.25, Now #22; Best prior run: 9.266/86.66, Was #22
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 12.668/57.60, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.673/298.01, Was #17

Strasburg rattles the tires at the hit and shuts down. Chrisman gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke.

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Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 4.590/319.67, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.989/206.95, Was #21
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 9.166/92.12, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.621/321.81, Was #15

Smith gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Beckman makes a great pass here and gets in the field in the 14th spot, bumping out Lagana and moving Smith to the bump spot.

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Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 11.199/92.86, Now #20; Best prior run: 4.856/271.73, Was #20
Right Lane: Doug Foley Runs 6.258/133.66, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.607/315.64, Was #15

Hartley goes up in smoke at the hit and clicks it off. Foley gets about 400 feet out, strikes the tires and shuts down.

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Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 5.749/153.68, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.748/281.30, Was #19
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.503/326.08, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.578/319.90, Was #13

Weis had a good run going, then the engine falls silent about 500 feet out, probably a blower belt. Millican makes his quickest pass NHRA pass ever and gets in the top half of field.

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Left Lane: Bobby Lagana Jr. Runs 4.713/306.19, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.673/315.05, Was #17
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.542/328.86, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.576/325.45, Was #13

Lagana's last chance, he makes a nice, clean pass, but it isn't enough. Kalitta makes his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up a few notches on the ladder. In case you haven't heard, Scott will be moving to Funny Car next year.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.555/326.24, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.573/324.75, Was #13
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.522/326.79, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.549/324.20, Was #12

A great side-by-side, both dragsters right down the groove. Dixon improves and just gets in the top half of the field, Kalitta stays in the 13th spot.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.554/315.19, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.537/321.19, Was #10
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.592/330.96, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.543/327.51, Was #12

A couple of more decent passes here, both right down Broadway, but neither improve.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 11.361/84.57, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.534/324.20, Was #9
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.473/329.83, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.508/307.58, Was #7

McClenethan gets about 200 feet out and goes up in smoke. Troxel doesn't have any traction problems, she makes a great pass, her quickest of the weekend, and she gets in the second spot.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.526/328.14, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.491/325.45, Was #4
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.533/327.03, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.503/323.74, Was #7

Two more good passes here, both right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.576/320.13, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.466/324.83, Was #1
Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 4.695/303.50, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.501/316.08, Was #5

Fuller gets out of the groove, makes a move toward the center-line, then back to the middle. He makes another hard move to the center, almost crossing just before he reaches the finish-line.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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