Sat, 27 Sep 2014, 16:15 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Third annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest 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: Luigi Novelli Runs 10.930/76.00, Now #13; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 90 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.67 inches, adjusted altitude 2,938 feet, track temperature 109 degrees.

Novelli is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle.

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Left Lane: Kyle Wurtzel Runs 4.034/259.51, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 6.621/69.28, Now #14; No Prior Run

Wurtzel starts to drop a cylinder or two and then the engine lets go with a quick fireball. Millican banged the blower right at the hit.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.931/315.34, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.054/293.79, Now #15; No Prior Run

McMillen with a real nice pass to go to the number 13 spot. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec., 330ft-2.221, 660ft-3.160/272.78 mph. Karamesines was on a good pass until it pitched the blower belt on the top end and then when he lift past the finish line there was a quick flash of flame.

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Left Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 7.058/91.24, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.826/317.72, Was #12
Right Lane: Troy Buff No Time, Now #18; No Prior Run

Dakin was up in smoke by 150 feet and he clicked it off. Buff was up in smoke right at the hit and coasted to a stop around half track.

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Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.940/257.92, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.812/319.98, Was #11
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.963/152.02, Now #16; No Prior Run

alBalooshi with a good pass until he slowed on the top end. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.829 sec., 330ft-2.132, 660ft-3.069/258.52 mph. Palmer started to moke the tires around 400 feet and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.869/318.24, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.798/323.89, Was #8
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 4.725/156.03, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.809/323.12, Was #10

Vandergriff with a real nice pass, straight down the groove with the quickest pass of the session. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.180, 660ft-3.106/276.58 mph. Force started to lose traction and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.832/323.43, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.780/324.83, Was #4
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.861/320.13, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.801/323.50, Was #9

Kalitta launched hard and keep it hooked up to make the quickest pass of the session. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.174, 660ft-3.083/281.13 mph. Massey with a good clean pass, the second quickest of the session. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.182, 660ft-3.103/278.23 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.822/323.19, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.780/326.16, Was #3
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 5.912/108.19, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.796/318.62, Was #7

Schumacher was straight down the groove with the quickest pass of the session. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.073/273.83 mph. Brown started to smoke the tires early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 5.130/135.36, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.779/325.37, Was #2
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.800/323.81, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.786/322.42, Was #6

Todd is up in smoke early and clicked it off. Torrence with a great looking pass, straight down the groove hitting on all eight to make the quickest pass of the round. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.049/280.43 mph.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.908/276.41, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.764/322.73, Was #1
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.812/320.89, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.780/315.19, Was #5

Crampton was on a great looking pass until right in the lights when the engine let go with a huge fireball. Langdon keep the big Goodyears hooked up and hitting on all eight all the way down the track to make the second-quickest pass of the round. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.151, 660ft-3.059/280.08 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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