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POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd 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: David Grubnic Runs 10.206/78.31, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.524/323.97, Was #4 Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.510/332.34, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.519/330.47, Was #3 1:15 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.07 inches, adjusted altitude 2,234 feet, track temperature 91 degrees. Lots of great
runs in Funny Car bodes well for the Long Cars. Both cars had problems in the last session and
Grubnic's run is over before the 330 lights, after a .866 sixty foot time, as the tires are up in
smoke. Bernstein runs it softer off the line and thunders on down the track for a Big MPH and a
better ET. He will stay #3 for now. Looks like the Bud car is sporting a new Miller style fuel
injector and scope on top of the blower. Bob Vandergriff is on the bump spot at 4.610. Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 8.671/99.91, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.578/324.44, Was #13 Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.643/312.86, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.640/307.16, Was #18 No joy for either team. Strasburg spins about where Grubby did, while Millican is consistent. Left Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 5.027/287.47, Now #21; Best prior run: 4.940/290.19, Was #21 Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.502/328.86, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.546/326.87, Was #6 Chrisman takes the long way down and slows from his prior run. Kalitta makes a big statement and runs a clean pass into the #2 spot. The real starts in the lights, as they is a wall of sparks from underneath the front of the car. The chutes are late to boot and he has his hands full getting the car stopped. The TV replay shows a major bend in the main rails right behind the front axle. Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 4.761/305.77, Now #20; Best prior run: 4.868/261.12, Was #20 Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 5.330/184.32, Now #22; Best prior run: 7.024/118.65, Was #22 Hartley picks up a dime in ET, but stays #20. Palmer picks up a second and a half and stays #22. Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.515/324.28, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.565/313.15, Was #10 Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 8.532/91.19, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.641/291.45, Was #19 Buff is up in smoke just before the 330 lights. Todd continues to improve and moves well up into the top half of the field in the current #5 position. Left Lane: David Baca Runs 4.642/312.50, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.583/310.98, Was #14 Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.623/320.58, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.599/318.92, Was #15 Neither car improves, but they both make a strong side by side pass. They will get one more chance later today. Left Lane: Alan Bradshaw Runs 4.636/316.82, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.615/320.28, Was #17 Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.587/305.01, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.567/324.75, Was #11 Bradshaw is looking to bump Vandergriff, who currently is only .005 quicker. Not this time, as the tune up isn't quite there. Lucas uses a lot of parts getting to the finish line and won't improve either. Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.627/319.67, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.610/322.50, Was #16 Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.561/327.66, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.559/330.88, Was #9 The clouds have started to move across the Pomona skies and may provide Schumacher with the advantage he need to set a record. The header flames are bright for both cars going down the track, but they both slow from their prior runs. However, consistency is a good thing! Vandergriff will stay on the bump. Left Lane: Hillary Will Runs 10.280/80.27, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.574/326.48, Was #12 Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.508/331.12, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.549/322.34, Was #8 WOW! Nice pass for the Miller Lite Team. They card a strong .846 off the line and then run strong and clean into the current #5 spot. Will's tune up is too strong for the left lane and the tires are up in smoke before 100 feet. Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.527/327.59, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.559/321.35, Was #10 Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.608/321.50, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.535/318.24, Was #8 Both of these cars capable of top half of the field performance. Both cars run with flames over the wings down the track. Melanie gets the advantage and pushes Herbert down a spot to take his place on the ladder. Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.458/328.46, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.490/328.54, Was #1 Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 4.780/250.97, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.509/323.89, Was #4 Allen Johnson makes his final adjustments to the US Army car and Schumacher does his job getting the car from one end of the track to the other. Tony's prediction of a new National Record in yesterday's after qualifying interview is getting closer to being true. A clean and true pass gets his back up numbers for a possible record in the final session, where the weather conditions should be even better. Fuller's Valvoline dragster runs with him at the start, but slows from his prior best.
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