Fri, 26 Jul 2013, 21:33 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

SONOMA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 3.875/303.71, Now #1
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 11.902/60.97, Now #2

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.96 inches, adjusted altitude 1,835 feet, track temperature 117 degrees.

Johnson Jr is in the Rapisarda team in his first appearance this season replacing Larry Dixon. Chrisman loses traction as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. Johnson Jr. launched hard and made real nice looking pass, straight down the groove. Tommy Johnson Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.167, 660ft-3.095/272.61 mph.

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 4.006/292.52, Now #3
Right Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 3.903/305.84, Now #2

Buff was straight down the groove with a clean pass. Zizzo dropped a cylinder around half track and then it appeared to be spraying fuel on the top end. T.J. Zizzo's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.110/261.72 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.905/317.79, Now #4
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.850/317.64, Now #1

Grubnic launched hard and keep it hooked up and was straight down the groove to go to the number one spot. Then he was long past the finish line before his chute came out. The shut down area here is up hill and plenty long so he gets it safely stopped. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.086/275.67 mph. McMillen with a real nice pass and the fastest of the event. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.202, 660ft-3.136/272.50 mph.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 5.147/129.49, Now #6
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 5.341/104.03, Now #7

Force is up in smoke about 200 feet and clicks it off. Bernstein's car started to lose traction and the something must popped as the chute came out.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence No Time, Now #10
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.827/319.37, Now #1

Torrence car never fired and the crew is not happy. The word from the starting line was the idler pulley locked up, so they shut it off. Lucas launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight all the way down the track. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.148, 660ft-3.070/277.60 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.954/261.72, Now #7
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.843/318.84, Now #2

It is the Vandergriff Motorsports teammates...They are side-by-side until around 800 feet when there was a quick flash of flames and he slowed. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.196, 660ft-3.120/276.41 mph. Millican with a great looking pass and he goes to the number two spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.173, 660ft-3.083/278.12 mph.

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Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 9.891/51.20, Now #12
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.873/315.27, Now #4

Not sure what happened to alBalooshi as he was out of power by 200 feet. Brown with a real nice pass as he was straight down the groove. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.187, 660ft-3.104/274.94 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.938/247.97, Now #8
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.977/245.85, Now #10

They both are on good looking passes and then Massey starts to drop cylinders and threw the blower belt off. Kalitta started to haze the tires on the top end and they both slow. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.154, 660ft-3.062/281.25 mph.
Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.095/270.00 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.892/310.20, Now #7
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.797/321.96, Now #1

Number one and two in the points...Langdon has 19 point lead. Schumacher was on a good looking pass and then started hazing the tires on the top end. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.184, 660ft-3.111/271.95 mph. Langdon launched hard and keep the big Goodyears hooked up to go to the number one spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.828 sec., 330ft-2.142, 660ft-3.047/281.95 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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