Sat, 20 Sep 2008, 02:06 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall 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: Rod Fuller Runs 4.179/228.92, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.896/308.50, Was #9
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.082/225.45, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.880/310.98, Was #8

Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.54 inches, adjusted altitude 2,607 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Fuller's car was eating itself up around 600 feet. Not sure why Schumacher's car slowed.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 7.934/67.34, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.897/309.06, Was #10
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.923/304.80, Now #13; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 55 percent, barometer 29.54 inches, adjusted altitude 2,666 feet, track temperature 109 degrees.

Brown is up in smoke right off the starting line. Millican will get on the qualifying sheet with this pass...Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.195, 660ft-3.131/270.75 mph.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 5.680/109.95, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tim Boychuk Runs 3.989/263.46, Now #14; No Prior Run

Grubnic is up in smoke by 300 feet. Boychuk attending only his second NHRA event, but set his career best E.T. here to get into the show. Tim Boychuk's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.167, 660ft-3.135/259.86 mph.

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Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 4.701/161.94, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.903/299.93, Was #12
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.987/287.84, Now #14; No Prior Run

Hartley starts to haze the tires just pass the 330-foot mark. Lucas gets it down the track and into the show. He will stay in the show after this round, because there are only two more drivers without times to run this session. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.206, 660ft-3.155/264.86 mph

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Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 4.228/215.24, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.902/307.23, Was #11
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.946/304.60, Now #14; No Prior Run

No help here for Massey. Kalitta gets it down the track and into the show for now...Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.202, 660ft-3.150/268.97 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.279/194.32, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.874/303.37, Was #7
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 3.946/300.86, Now #15; No Prior Run

Torrence started hazing the tires on the top end and he will not improve. Herbert with a big engine explosion and big fireball, but he gets in the show. Doug Herbert's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.204, 660ft-3.144/268.92 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.984/294.24, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.861/312.64, Was #4
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.966/281.54, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.874/307.72, Was #6

A couple clean passes, but neither driver improves...Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.190, 660ft-3.162/259.86 mph.
J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.117/260.81 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.876/309.77, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.842/315.19, Was #2
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 7.935/78.66, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.866/313.00, Was #5

McClenathan started to shake the tires and clicked it off. Bernstein with a real nice pass...the quickest of the day. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.165, 660ft-3.092/273.39 mph.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.037/275.00, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.820/310.70, Was #1
Right Lane: Hillary Will Runs 4.127/232.59, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.849/314.97, Was #3

No help for either of these two...It appeared Dixon's engine was eating itself up on the top end. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.180, 660ft-3.168/252.14 mph. There is oil in Dixon's lane.
Hillary Will's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.211, 660ft-3.181/248.29 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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