Fri, 16 Mar 2018, 20:23 PM Top Fuel Harley Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel Harley at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals listing lane, rider 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: Jim Page Runs 6.755/202.79, Now #5; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Beau Layne Runs 13.909/73.26, Now #17; Best prior run: 15.297/63.36, Was #16

8:02 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 29.83 inches, adjusted altitude 1,576 feet, track temperature 85 degrees.

Lane goes up in smoke at the hit and he has to give up on the run. Page had to really lean to keep the bike in the groove and he hangs on to get in the field in the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: Randal Andras Runs 7.917/117.39, Now #9; Best prior run: 7.917/117.39, Was #9
Right Lane: Mike Scott Runs 18.818/59.15, Now #15; Best prior run: 12.517/79.99, Was #15

Scott loses traction at the hit, the rear of the bike starts wagging around, then he gives up on the run. Andras was on a decent pass but he sits up on the bike about 700 feet out.

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Left Lane: Takeshi Shigematsu Runs 10.303/85.64, Now #12; Best prior run: 17.613/41.05, Was #20
Right Lane: Kevin Boyer Runs 10.533/71.59, Now #14; Best prior run: 10.562/94.79, Was #13

Boyer hits the throttle, flames were only coming from the left pipe, and he clicks it off early. Shigematsu gets about 400 feet out and is out of power, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Jake Stordeur Runs 34.777/28.43, Now #20; Best prior run: 17.355/61.74, Was #20
Right Lane: Lyle Newton Runs 8.679/118.04, Now #11; Best prior run: 10.332/94.21, Was #13

Newton's bike sounded like it was running on one cylinder all the way through the run. Stordeur gets about 200 feet out and the bike shuts down, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Jay Turner Runs 6.386/231.91, Now #3; Best prior run: 12.857/91.16, Was #18
Right Lane: Kirby Apathy Runs 14.779/77.95, Now #13; Best prior run: 9.230/117.70, Was #12

Apathy loses traction early and has to give up on the run. Turner was off and on the throttle about 400 feet out.

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Left Lane: Chris Smith Runs 6.765/211.26, Now #8; Best prior run: 12.743/86.95, Was #18
Right Lane: Armon Furr Runs 7.040/151.78, Now #10; Best prior run: 8.463/111.27, Was #11

Smith makes a decent pass and moves up to the eighth spot. Furr was out in front of Smith until just past half track, then the bike noses over, not sure why.

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Left Lane: Bill Jackson Runs 6.972/186.15, Now #10; Best prior run: 10.726/88.86, Was #17

Jackson makes his quickest pass of the day and gets in the field in the tenth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Bob Malloy Runs 9.679/84.93, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.581/184.95, Was #5
Right Lane: Dennis Fisher Runs 9.774/90.71, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.881/203.43, Was #9

Fisher gets out of the groove, gets close to the centerline and has to back off the throttle. Malloy drifts to the right, gets about 500 feet out and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Tii Tharpe Runs 6.379/195.36, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.432/197.05, Was #4
Right Lane: Tracy Kile Runs 7.244/139.80, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.763/213.23, Was #7

Tharpe goes down the groove with a good pass and improves from his earlier attempt. Kile was on a decent pass but clicks it off a little early.

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Left Lane: Doug Vancil Runs 6.289/233.80, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.369/219.86, Was #2
Right Lane: Rickey House Runs 6.364/210.14, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.349/219.08, Was #1

Vancil drifts a little to the right but stays on the throttle and makes the quickest pass of the day to take the top spot. House makes a clean pass but doesn't improve.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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