Sat, 17 Mar 2018, 13:13 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Amalie Motor Oil 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:

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Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 10.137/72.12, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.811/325.77, Was #5

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 37 percent, barometer 29.85 inches, adjusted altitude 1,706 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

She hiked the front end and was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 3.810/291.26, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.570/115.90, Was #12
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.832/325.92, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.736/162.22, Was #8

Dakin's engine let go with a quick flash of flames and then then got real close to the centerline, but stayed in his lane. He still makes a big move into the top half of the show. Pat Dakin's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.141, 660ft-3.032/283.01 mph.

Kalitta is straight down the groove to move up the ladder one spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.186, 660ft-3.087/283.67 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.841/146.59, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.785/329.67, Was #4
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 10.088/76.37, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.531/78.85, Was #16

Schumacher is up in smoke around 300 feet and clicked it off.

Reed is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 7.613/79.53, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.557/117.91, Was #12
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 6.201/107.53, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.702/124.21, Was #13

Salinas is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off.

Palmer chattered the tires right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 13.029/94.88, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.228/198.64, Was #9
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 5.289/126.98, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.021/138.17, Was #11

Crampton didn't move when the light turned green and then idled down the track.

Force started to haze the tires just before half track and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 5.355/129.43, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.751/327.74, Was #3
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.915/313.22, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.918/148.49, Was #10

Brown is up in smoke just past the 330 foot mark and clicks it off.

McMillen dropped a cylinder right at the hit, but kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend and move into the top half of the show. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.217, 660ft-3.142/274.33 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 5.160/131.79, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.739/323.19, Was #2
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 5.321/124.87, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.708/324.98, Was #1

Torrence is up in smoke around 330 feet and clicked it off.

Millican is up in smoke early in the run and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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