Fri, 10 May 2013, 17:28 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

COMMERCE, Ga. - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 33rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern 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: Leah Pruett Runs 3.941/305.63, Now #10; Best prior run: 14.121/47.86, Was #18
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.902/310.48, Now #6; Best prior run: 11.743/69.60, Was #17

Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 46 percent, barometer 29.25 inches, adjusted altitude 2,984 feet.

Torrence launched hard and keep it hooked up and was straight down the groove into the top half of the show. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.176, 660ft-3.120/270.64 mph. Pruett with nice pass to get in the show. Leah Pruett's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.223, 660ft-3.152/271.73 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.863/320.66, Now #2; Best prior run: 8.057/77.19, Was #18
Right Lane: Keith Murt No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.667/199.88, Was #17

Murt did the burnout and then had problems as he went to stage and was shut off. Schumacher with a great under pressure run to go to the number two spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.191, 660ft-3.106/278.98 mph.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.099/238.64, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.635/211.13, Was #17
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.826/320.36, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.568/180.94, Was #16

Lucas starts to drop cylinder right at the hit and the engine lets go...he gets in the show. The word from the track is there is oil on the track from Lucas. Kalitta launched hard and keep the big Goodyears stuck all the way down the track. He goes to the number one spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.071/281.42 mph.

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Left Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 7.785/83.29, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.944/292.46, Was #13
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.919/312.71, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.436/251.58, Was #17

Dakin started to lose traction right at the hit and clicked it off. Vandergriff was on a good pass until on the top end when it started mixing up cylinders and then pushed out the head gasket. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.214, 660ft-3.147/275.90 mph. Vandergriff gets in the show and that bumps out Force.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.930/312.57, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.930/311.77, Was #12
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.891/321.73, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.263/195.45, Was #17

McMillen with another good pass as he matches his E.T. from earlier today. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.212, 660ft-3.152/270.97 mph. Force was straight down the groove to get into the top half of the show. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.228, 660ft-3.139/280.95 mph.

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Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.922/258.22, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.925/316.30, Was #12

Karamesines was to not line to run this session and he will not qualify. alBalooshi was on a good pass until the top end when the car went silent, not sure if maybe it threw the belt off. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.177, 660ft-3.086/280.19 mph. alBalooshi still improves, but stays in the number 12 spot.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 8.260/73.11, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.886/313.37, Was #7
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.843/310.05, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.913/270.86, Was #10

Millican start to lose traction early and clicks it off. Grubnic with a great pass until right in the lights when the car went silent. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.177, 660ft-3.074/283.25 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.791/324.36, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.864/318.84, Was #5
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.826/321.35, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.876/316.52, Was #7

This was a great side-by-side drag race as they go to the top of the list. Langdon sets the track speed record. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.157, 660ft-3.048/285.89 mph.
Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.178, 660ft-3.076/283.85 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.838/319.45, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.847/314.17, Was #5
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 8.811/71.44, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.874/314.61, Was #7

Massey started to lose traction early and clicked it off. Bernstein with another good pass to move up the ladder one spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec., 330ft-2.179, 660ft-3.083/281.36 mph. Langdon holds on to the the number one spot for the second time this year and the eighth time in his career.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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