Fri, 21 Feb 2014, 17:29 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 8.670/49.67, Now #2
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 3.989/282.01, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 28.69 inches, adjusted altitude 3,039 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Palmer dropped a cylinder right at the hit and the engine went bang and there is some oil on the track. Buff with a good pass until in the lights when it started to slow. Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.184, 660ft-3.144/257.58 mph.

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Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.883/290.07, Now #1
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.160/225.75, Now #3

Pritchett launched hard and was on a great pass until it started mixing up cylinders right in the lights. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.828 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.087/271.73 mph. McMillen started mixing up cylinders just pas half track and clicked it off early.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.091/216.86, Now #4
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.839/320.74, Now #1

Schumacher started dropping cylinders and then it went pop and he coasted across the finish line. force launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number one spot for now. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.087/279.96 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 5.366/124.58, Now #6
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 6.099/105.44, Now #7

Vandergriff is up in around 250 feet and clicked it off. Brown started to lose traction around 150 feet and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.951/257.63, Now #3
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 6.132/105.05, Now #9

Grubnic launched and had a cylinder out right at the hit and then around 660 feet the engine let go with a quick flash of flame, but he still goes to the number three spot. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.830 sec., 330ft-2.167, 660ft-3.098/269.08 mph. Millican lost traction early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 4.330/194.04, Now #8
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.845/281.07, Now #2

Crampton was on a good pass until it went up in smoke around half track. Langdon was a great looking pass until right in the lights when the pipes got real wet. He still goes to the number two spot. The word from the top end was he lost the blower belt. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.150, 660ft-3.056/282.48 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 6.080/100.52, Now #10
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 6.709/86.42, Now #13

Torrence with very aggressive short times, but couldn't get it to stick and was up in smoke. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.822 sec. Massey was up in smoke early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.792/323.27, Now #1
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 6.813/83.91, Now #15

Kalitta launched hard and keep the big Goodyears hooked up all the way down the track to go to the number one spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.150, 660ft-3.047/284.51 mph. alBalooshi started to smoke the tires early and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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