Sat, 06 Oct 2012, 13:31 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 28th annual Auto-Plus 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:

---

Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.786/319.22, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.818/318.77, Was #9

Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 66 percent, barometer 29.26 inches, adjusted altitude 2,195 feet, track temperature 77 degrees.

Grubnic with a great looking pass to start Saturday qualifying. He move into the 3.70 zone and into the top half of the field. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.149, 660ft-3.033/284.03 mph.

---

Left Lane: Dom Lagana Runs 3.922/279.09, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.793/322.73, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.844/317.87, Was #11

Lagana was on a good pass, but slowed on the top end, but gets a number on the board. Dom Lagana's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.214, 660ft-3.126/279.32 mph. Brown launched hard and was straight down the groove to move up the ladder a couple spots. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.137, 660ft-3.041/280.14 mph.

---

Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 5.092/135.20, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.835/315.71, Was #11
Right Lane: Rit Pustari Runs 4.109/269.35, Now #14; No Prior Run

Dixon is up in smoke just past 300 feet and clicks it off. Pustari was on a good pass until the engine went away with a huge cloud of engine smoke, The word from the top end is there is oil in the right lane. This will cost him five points and some money.

---

Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.091/260.51, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Ike Maier Runs 4.100/233.84, Now #15; No Prior Run

Maier starting mixing up cylinders and clicked it off early. Millican was on a good pass until around 800 feet when the engine went away with a lot of engine smoke. both drivers get times on the board and into the show for now.

---

Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.824/324.90, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.849/321.42, Was #12
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.281/198.52, Now #17; No Prior Run

McMillen had a whisp of tire smoke and then the engine went silent. Vandergriff was straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to move up to the number ten spot. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.166, 660ft-3.073/281.71 mph.

---

Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 8.738/76.07, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.762/328.38, Was #2
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.891/250.32, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.803/321.04, Was #10

Langdon with violent tire shake right at the hit and clicked it off. Torrence was on a real nice pass until the engine went silent around 800 feet.

---

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.775/327.74, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.767/327.27, Was #4
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 7.212/77.95, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.776/327.03, Was #7

alBalooshi shook hard right off the starting line and clicked it off. Kalitta launched hard and and keep it hooked up all the way down the track with the quickest pass of the round. He once again has a big top end speed, his personal best. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.154, 660ft-3.036/287.66 mph.

---

Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 4.497/155.27, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.763/321.12, Was #3
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.758/326.48, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.775/325.61, Was #6

Bernstein launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight to run his career best E.T. and career best speed to go to the number one spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.141, 660ft-3.018/288.15 mph. Massey started to drop cylinders and the engine let go with a huge fireball. The word from the top end is there is oil in Massey's lane. That will cost him five points.

---

Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 6.978/96.80, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.760/326.95, Was #2
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.736/324.20, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.770/323.12, Was #6

Lucas is up in smoke right off the starting line. Schumacher launched hard and then blast straight down the groove to go to the number one spot. Schumacher runs his career quickest pass here. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.107, 660ft-2.991/286.19 mph. This is the third quickest pass in the history of Top Fuel.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Feb 13- NHRA and FOX Sports Announce TV Schedule for NHRA's 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 12- 75th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 10- Wally Parks 75th Anniversary Appreciation Fund Part of $27 Million Overall Purse
Feb 08- NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Releases 2026 Schedule
Feb 07- Huge List of Legends Set to Appear at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 05- NHRA and Legends Global Extend Merchandise Partnership Ahead of 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 04- Doug Foley Announces Addition of Ron Douglas as Consultant to Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel Team
Feb 04- Tickets Now on Sale for NHRA's Debut at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway
Feb 04- Reed, Zetterström to Share Driving Duties of Reed Trucking & Excavating Top Fuel Dragster
Jan 29- NHRA to Honor Iconic John Force in 2027 with "50 Years Of Force"