GAINESVILLE - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

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Sat, 09 Mar 2024, 18:55 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 55th annual NHRA Gatornationals 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:

Right Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 3.719/325.37, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.892/311.56, Was #16

Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 87 percent, barometer 29.80 inches, adjusted altitude 2,062 feet.

Ashley kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to get off the bump to the number four spot. Justin Ashley's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.127, 660ft-2.989/292.84 mph.

Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.766/314.61, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.791/325.45, Was #14

Reed with his quickest pass of the weekend, straight down the groove. He moves up the ladder three spots.

Left Lane: Cody Krohn Runs 3.861/312.35, Now #16; Best prior run: 3.850/317.64, Was #16
Right Lane: Josh Hart Runs 3.744/322.65, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.776/318.62, Was #13

Krohn with a clean pass, but will not improve and will start Sunday from the number 16 spot.

Hart kept the big Goodyears hooked up all the way down the track. He moves up the ladder four spots. Josh Hart's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.125, 660ft-99.999/000.00 mph.

Left Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.713/334.15, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.770/329.02, Was #13
Right Lane: Doug Foley Runs 3.913/237.50, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.764/318.84, Was #11

Torrence with the header flames shooting high over the rear wing. He is skating around on the top end, but stays with it. He goes to the number three spot. Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.126, 660ft-2.991/293.73 mph.

Foley clicked it off early on the top end.

Left Lane: Tripp Tatum Runs 3.757/292.39, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.761/319.07, Was #11
Right Lane: Tony Stewart Runs 3.725/310.34, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.739/327.82, Was #9

Tatum with a good looking pass, but the speed was down on the top end. He makes his quickest pass of the weekend, but stays in the number 11 spot.

Stewart is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend. He moves into the top half of the show. Tony Stewart's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.116, 660ft-2.975/291.19 mph.

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.714/330.80, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.723/332.10, Was #6
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.712/326.79, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.728/328.94, Was #9

This is a great side-by-side drag race.

Kalitta kept the candles lit all the way down the track with his quickest pass of the weekend. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.123, 660ft-2.986/292.65 mph.

Schumacher launched hard and kept it hooked up and makes his quickest pass of the weekend. He goes to the number three spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.121, 660ft-2.980/294.18 mph.

Left Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 3.705/331.53, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.717/321.19, Was #6
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 8.080/80.18, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.726/332.67, Was #9

Salinas launched hard and kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend. He goes to the number three spot. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.110, 660ft-2.979/291.26 mph.

Millican starts to lose traction early and clicks it off.

Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.730/328.70, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.787/327.51, Was #14
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.709/332.43, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.793/326.16, Was #15

Force was on a great looking pass until on the top end when it appeared to start to lose traction. Then the engine let go with a huge fireball. The word from the top end is there is oil on the track. Brittany Force was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points.

Brown kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to make his quickest pass of the weekend. He goes to the number four spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.120, 660ft-2.982/292.01 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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