Sat, 06 Oct 2018, 16:29 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 33rd annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals 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: Mike Salinas Runs 3.859/313.15, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.220/205.66, Was #18
Right Lane: Terry Totten Runs 5.031/193.07, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.683/170.30, Was #19

Weather conditions: air temperature 88 degrees, relative humidity 64 percent, barometer 29.36 inches, adjusted altitude 3,625 feet, track temperature 119 degrees.

Salinas launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number nine spot. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.086/274.89 mph.

Totten was up in smoke early in the run and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.946/295.66, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.942/303.71, Was #15
Right Lane: Terry Brian Runs 4.138/257.04, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.121/237.75, Was #17

Crampton was on a good pass until in the lights when it dropped a cylinder or two. There was a lot of smoke as he crossed the finish line. He will not improve. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.193, 660ft-3.141/264.96 mph.

Brian had a cylinder out right at the hit, but stayed with it. The engine let go with a quick flash of flames. He will not improve...

The word from the top end is there is oil in both lanes.

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Left Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.809/321.04, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.921/283.13, Was #14
Right Lane: Bill Litton Runs 3.903/318.17, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.076/235.47, Was #16

Torrence launched hard and kept it hooked up to move into the top half of the show. Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.063/284.33 mph.

Litton is straight down the groove to move up one spot and get off the bump spot. Bill Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.208, 660ft-3.138/275.45 mph.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.978/286.68, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.186/268.22, Was #18
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.823/320.36, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.862/316.38, Was #11

McClenathan with his quickest pass of the weekend, but comes up just short of getting in the show. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.220, 660ft-3.160/268.49 mph.

Kalitta is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend. He moves up on the ladder a couple spots. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.071/283.85 mph.

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Left Lane: Kebin Kinsley Runs 3.803/317.34, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.883/317.19, Was #14
Right Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.829/324.05, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.808/324.51, Was #6

Kinsley launched hard and kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass this season (this is his fifth race this season) to move into the top half of the show. Kebin Kinsley's incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.145, 660ft-3.047/282.07 mph.

Pritchett with another good pass, but will not improve. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.172, 660ft-3.079/281.30 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.840/323.58, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.873/311.99, Was #13
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 5.997/83.48, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.800/321.12, Was #5

Schumacher with his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up the ladder two spots. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.185, 660ft-3.091/282.78 mph.

McMillen's chute deploys right off the starting line and he clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.785/157.14, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.854/321.65, Was #12
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 4.514/180.16, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.797/325.69, Was #4

Palmer is up in smoke just past the half track mark and he clicks it off.

Alexander has a hole out right at the hit and then the car pitches the blower belt off.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.810/306.60, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.817/321.27, Was #9
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.837/321.42, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.781/326.71, Was #3

These two did their burnouts and then were shut off as it started to sprinkle. It was a short delay, they both fire back up and staged.

Brown with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number nine spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.151, 660ft-3.049/283.97 mph.

Force with another good pass, but will not improve...Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.173, 660ft-3.086/280.84 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.743/327.82, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.781/328.14, Was #2
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.749/329.42, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.726/328.54, Was #1

This is a great side-by-side to wrap up round three of qualifying.

Torrence launched hard and kept it hooked up to make the quickest pass of the session and his quickest pass of the weekend. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.130, 660ft-3.008/289.57 mph.

Millican was right there with him to make the second quickest pass of the session. He will hold on to the number one spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.131, 660ft-3.017/288.33 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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