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Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session
Sat, 2 Aug 2003, 07:41 PM
Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series,
16th annual FRAM-Autolite NHRA 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:
Left Lane: Don Lampus Runs 4.724/302.55, Now #11; Best prior run:
4.861/292.71, Was #16
4:06 PM Current weather conditions: 82 degrees, 45 percent relative humidity,
the barometer 30.00 inches. Lampus is on the bump with a prior 4.861 and hammers his
way into the current #11 stop with a clean and straight pass.
Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.697/309.84, Now #8; Best prior run:
4.821/293.47, Was #16
Right Lane: Mitch King Runs 4.860/285.47, Now #17; Best prior run:
5.145/214.48, Was #18
Schumacher takes over the bump and will try to do the same as Lampus. King
didn't run in the last session and just misses the field with a great run to set a new
career best ET. The Army car makes a big move into the top half of the field with a clean
and straight pass.
Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 11.406/78.08, Now #16; Best prior run:
4.821/303.30, Was #16
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.950/247.11, Now #18; Best prior run:
4.918/287.66, Was #18
Looks like a pattern. Each pair has the bump car in it and moves up the
ladder. Nope! Strasburg smokes the tires. Troxel had a good chance to get in the
field, but lost the blower belt near the top end.
Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.597/320.58, Now #3; Best prior run:
4.745/265.06, Was #14
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 4.793/293.47, Now #15; Best prior run:
4.764/296.89, Was #15
The field is set and now everyone is looking to improve. Oh, WOW! Weis finds
the "quick and fast" tune up and bangs his way into the current #3 spot. Smith can't
improve after losing the blower belt near the top end.
Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 5.497/173.43, Now #8; Best prior run:
4.686/302.14, Was #8
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.702/313.80, Now #11; Best prior run:
4.731/313.37, Was #14
Herbert starts to smoke the tires after mid-track, but Romine is able to move
up to the #11 spot with a nice pass in the heat.
Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 9.549/96.52, Now #6; Best prior run:
4.669/312.50, Was #6
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 4.678/311.77, Now #8; Best prior run:
4.711/306.74, Was #13
Baca picks it up big time with a good looking pass and is able to move into
the current top half of the field. Smith is too agressive and smokes the tires before the
330 lights.
Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.624/324.36, Now #4; Best prior run:
4.651/294.43, Was #5
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 13.794/71.58, Now #13; Best prior run:
4.707/315.27, Was #13
Grubnic is also too greedy and smokes the tires off the line. The General gave
Bernstein a longer fuze this time and he make a clean pass with a big MPH to move up a
spot.
Left Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 8.524/91.48, Now #5; Best prior run:
4.636/309.91, Was #5
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.712/313.51, Now #11; Best prior run:
4.702/316.15, Was #11
Good pass by Cory, but no improvement. Russell is up in smoke just before the
330 lights.
Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 8.663/94.19, Now #2; Best prior run:
4.584/322.50, Was #2
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.655/317.34, Now #1; Best prior run:
4.531/325.77, Was #1
Last pair to run. Dixon starts to haze the tires just past the 330 lights and
slows. Kalitta makes a clean pass for the conditions.... and that's a wrap for TF! 4:33
PM
Timing data courtesy of
CompuLink
By Dave Gerard
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