Sat, 10 Nov 2018, 16:52 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th 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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Left Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 5.843/110.97, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.946/144.75, Was #15

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 11 percent, barometer 28.80 inches, adjusted altitude 2,762 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Ferre was dropping cylinders right the hit and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 3.797/317.42, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.211/208.20, Was #14
Right Lane: Bill Litton Runs 3.985/270.43, Now #15; No Prior Run

Salinas launched hard, but then dropped a cylinder. He stayed with it and then right after the finish light the engine let go with a big fireball. He moves up the ladder one spot. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.829 sec., 330ft-2.133, 660ft-3.037/279.67 mph.

Litton with his first pass of the weekend. Litton was on a good pass until around 1/8th mile marker when it banged the blower. He gets in the show. Bill Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.216, 660ft-3.155/268.87 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.807/323.12, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.858/312.35, Was #14
Right Lane: Audrey Worm Runs 4.552/184.95, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.731/92.70, Was #17

Reed was straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend, but stays in the number 14 spot. Shawn Reed's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.159, 660ft-3.058/282.66 mph.

Worm was on a good pass, but then started mixing up cylinders and clicked it off. She coasted on into the field on the bubble.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.762/329.02, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.792/326.24, Was #11
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.704/158.65, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.767/328.38, Was #9

Schumacher kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to move up the ladder a couple spots. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.152, 660ft-3.028/290.13 mph.

Palmer started to lose traction early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.831/315.86, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.794/325.61, Was #12
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 5.785/111.51, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.740/319.29, Was #7

McMillen started to drop cylinders, but stayed with it. He never got it to clean up and will not improve. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.159, 660ft-3.065/278.12 mph.

Kalitta is up in smoke before 330 feet and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.754/329.50, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.772/324.28, Was #11
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 3.732/329.34, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.711/330.88, Was #5

This was a good side-by-side drag race.

Force was straight down the groove with her quickest pass of the weekend to move into the top half of the show. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.139, 660ft-3.021/289.51 mph.

Alexander launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to make the quickest pass of the session. He will not improve and will stay in the number five spot. Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.832 sec., 330ft-2.122, 660ft-2.999/290.01 mph.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.754/323.89, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.756/319.52, Was #9
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.735/326.00, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.704/329.50, Was #3

Crampton with a good looking pass and ties Force, but will give up the position based on his slower speed. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.133, 660ft-3.013/287.66 mph.

Brown with another great pass, the second quickest pass of the session. He will not improve and will stay in the number three spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.126, 660ft-3.000/291.01 mph.

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Left Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.729/327.51, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.711/328.86, Was #6
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.837/252.24, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.702/327.19, Was #2

Torrence launched hard and kept it in the groove to make the quickest pass of the session. He will not improve and will stay in the number six spot. Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.127, 660ft-2.995/291.63 mph.

Millican was on a good pass until he started to lose traction and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.701/325.77, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.704/327.35, Was #4
Right Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 4.535/168.05, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.649/329.34, Was #1

Torrence kept it hitting on all eight and hooked up to make the quickest pass of the session. He will not improve and will stay in the number two spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.816 sec., 330ft-2.098, 660ft-2.967/291.89 mph.

Pritchett started to haze the tires early and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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