Sat, 12 Nov 2016, 19:51 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals 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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Right Lane: Steve Faria Runs 4.191/212.16, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.398/101.75, Was #19

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 2,904 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Faria was on a good pass until it started to mix up the cylinders and the engine went silent just past half track.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.066/234.78, Now #17; Best prior run: 3.953/285.05, Was #17
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.026/235.39, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.269/217.14, Was #19

Palmer started mixing up cylinders and then the engine let go with a big fireball around 800 feet. He will not get in the show. Haddock's engine let go with a quick flash of flames around 800 feet and he will not get in the show.

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 7.553/89.91, Now #16; Best prior run: 3.879/305.49, Was #16
Right Lane: Tripp Tatum Runs 3.915/259.91, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.815/313.95, Was #14

Buff is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off. Tatum with a clean pass, but will not improve. Tripp Tatum's incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.076/276.41 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 6.819/87.94, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.849/319.22, Was #15
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 7.945/85.70, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.800/322.65, Was #13

Reed is up in smoke right at the hit and pedals it, but is back up in smoke and clicked it off. Lucas is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Wayne Newby Runs 3.819/315.64, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.766/326.79, Was #11
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 6.349/104.41, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.792/323.89, Was #12

Newby with another good pass, but will not improve. Wayne Newby's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.056/279.27 mph. McMillen is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.731/323.27, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.753/320.13, Was #8
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.709/327.90, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.764/324.83, Was #10

This is a great side-by-side drag race. Force with a great pass, straight down the groove with her quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number eight spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.117, 660ft-2.989/288.58 mph. Kalitta launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.825 sec., 330ft-2.107, 660ft-2.974/290.44 mph.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.733/315.12, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.738/320.66, Was #9
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.780/318.62, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.761/321.88, Was #10

Crampton with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number nine spot. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.119, 660ft-2.984/289.94 mph. Millican's team prior to this run was awarded with the "Best Appearing Crew" award. Millican with another good pass, but will not improve. He will start Sunday from the number ten spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.128, 660ft-3.024/281.54 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.739/326.95, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.723/329.34, Was #5
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.713/327.43, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.729/325.14, Was #7

Schumacher with another good pass, but will not improve and gets bumped back one spot by Langdon. Langdon was straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to go to the number three spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.115, 660ft-2.979/292.58 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.730/328.14, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.716/326.95, Was #5
Right Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.715/327.90, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.726/328.62, Was #7

Torrence with another good looking pass, but will not improve...Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.832 sec., 330ft-2.119, 660ft-2.995/288.89 mph. Pritchett kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to make her quickest pass of the weekend to move up the ladder two spots. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.123, 660ft-2.984/292.84 mph.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.758/306.12, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.680/327.82, Was #1
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.714/324.98, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.713/326.56, Was #4

Todd was on anther great pass and then right in the lights the car got real loose and then banged the blower with a quick flash of flame. He will hold on to the number one spot for the first time this season and the ninth time in his career. Brown with another great pass, but just a tick off his qualifying time and will stay in the number four spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.111, 660ft-2.977/291.26 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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